Maine Climate Corps Program Launches Member Recruitment

Maine Climate Corps green pine tree and Downeast Community Partners multi-leaf tree and Commission tree plus flag logo

Volunteer Maine’s first Climate Corps program seeks 4 full-time members for energy efficiency project in Hancock and Washington Counties.

Downeast Community Partners (DCP), the Community Action Agency serving residents from Ellsworth to Calais, is accepting applications for four full-time Climate Corps members to serve from June to November of 2023. Climate Corps members will conduct energy audits of Weatherization Assistance Program clients’ homes, provide energy efficiency education to community residents, and analyze data from homes audited and weatherized. Members will also receive extensive training in weatherization and they have the opportunity to earn Building Performance Institute credentials that can lead to careers in the growing green buildings sector. Members will earn a living allowance equivalent to $18 an hour and will be eligible for a $1,000 end of term award upon successful completion of the program. 

DCP was formed in 2017 with the merging of two organizations in the region, Child and Family Opportunities and the Washington Hancock Community Agency. With a mission to improve the quality of life and reduce the impact of poverty in Downeast communities, DCP is committed to creating and delivering services and programs that treat community members with dignity and compassion and that offer them the possibility of achieving their goals and dreams. 

DCP was awarded the pilot Climate Corps grant in 2022. “DCP is committed to partnerships that address historical environmental inequities that result in disproportionate economic and health threats for rural Downeast community members who are living in poverty. This exciting opportunity with Maine Climate Corps is a pivotal step towards focusing on this environmental injustice to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve,” says Executive Director, Rebecca Palmer. 

The Maine Climate Corps is a recommended strategy in Maine Won’t Wait, the State’s Climate Action Plan. Climate Corps was created in Maine statute and a small amount of funding was authorized by the 130th Legislature. Priorities of the Maine Climate Corps include Energy Education and Outreach, Community Resilience Planning, and Green Schools. According to Maryalice Crofton, Volunteer Maine Executive Director, “this pilot program is significant because it is completely Maine-based and lets us connect the power of service to economic impacts on families and economic opportunities for people entering the workforce or changing careers.” 

To apply to serve in DCP’s Climate Corps, visit their website -- access here.

To learn more about sponsoring a Climate Corps program, contact Kirsten Brewer (kirsten.brewer@maine.gov, 207.624.7792) at Volunteer Maine. 
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About Volunteer Maine
Volunteer Maine, the state service commission, builds capacity and sustainability in Maine's volunteer sector by funding service programs, developing volunteer managers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of the scope and the impact of the volunteer sector, and encouraging an ethic of service. On Oct. 16, 2019, the Maine Commission for Community Service adopted the public identity Volunteer Maine.