Readers of Joe's Time & Temp blog are familiar with Furniture Friends, a nonprofit organization dedicated to acquiring and providing donated furniture to people in need throughout Greater Portland. If you want to help out this local organization, you'll have the chance to do just that today, October 2nd, as they host their “Virtual Slumber Party." Just like last year, hundreds of community members, families, high school and college students and corporate groups in Maine will be raising money to sleep on the floor so that others don’t have to. The evening begins with a 7pm kickoff hosted by local celebrity hosts and features several fun, family-friendly activities.

At their inaugural event, Furniture Friends had over 180 individual participants and 18 teams who raised over $40,000. The event was hosted by WMGX 93.1 with show hosts Blake Hayes and Kelly Towle. The event was featured on WCSH6, WGME13, and WMTW8 and had 28 corporate sponsors supporting the event!

Joe's team hopes the event is a smashing success, and thanks the good  folks at Furniture Friends for the important work that they do. Please find more about this work, and about the Virtual Slumber Party, here.

                     Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.

Joe's team prefers a brisk walk to a 26.2-mile run, but nonetheless we appreciate the effort that goes into running a marathon. This Sunday, October 3rd, thousands of runners will be running the 2021 Gorham Savings Bank Maine Marathon, starting and finishing at Baxter Boulevard, between Forest Ave and Preble Street.

Every year, event organizers designate a local charity as the main beneficiary of race proceeds, and entrants are invited to make additional donations to that charity. There are seven main beneficiaries of 2021's race: Teens to Trails, Wayside Food Programs, Team Long Run, Port Resources, Pihcintu Multinational Girl Chorus, Shawnee Peak Adaptive Ski, and Spurwink. 

Find more about the race and these wonderful nonprofits here. Joe's team wishes good luck to all the runners and maybe we'll see you at the finish line!

                    Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.

Joe's team is spreading the word about a quintessentially Maine event: it’s Dempsey Challenge weekend! Join us at the Local Challenge in Lewiston, Maine, September 25^th + 26^th or participate in the Global Challenge from anywhere in the world! Run, walk, or ride in support of the Dempsey Center this weekend and help make life better for people impacted by cancer.

About the Dempsey Challenge

The Dempsey Challenge presented by Amgen Oncology is a two-day, non-competitive fundraiser that champions the spirit of celebration and culture of paying it forward, traditionally hosted in Lewiston, Maine. Through the success of the 2020 virtual event, Dempsey Challenge 2021 is a now a Global event accessible to a worldwide audience who can participate virtually or to people wishing to participate live in the Local event at Simard-Payne Park in Lewiston, Maine. For the latest Dempsey Challenge news, visit DempseyChallenge.org.

About the Dempsey Center

Founded in 2008 by actor Patrick Dempsey, the Dempsey Center provides no-cost services to cancer patients, survivors, care partners, and their families. Services offered at the Center include nutrition consultations, movement + fitness classes, complementary therapies, counseling, support groups, and more. Currently, our services can be accessed at our Centers in Lewiston and South Portland or via our virtual platform, Dempsey Connects. Learn more at DempseyCenter.org.

If you're a Portlander and you're not familiar by now with STRIVE University, allow Joe's team to help. The STRIVE program of PSL Services is designed to address the many issues faced by tweens, teens, and young adults (ages 11-24) with developmental disabilities. STRIVE focuses largely on academic success, career readiness, and literary and social skills.

Today is one of STRIVE's unique fundraising events featuring Kevin, a UPS employee who has developed a great partnership with STRIVE. One of Kevin's great volunteer efforts each year is to stay up on a roof until he reaches a certain fundraising goal for STRIVE. This year, Kevin will be atop Patriot Subaru in Saco, ME. He WILL NOT come down until he reaches $50,000! Joe's team hopes you consider chipping in to help STRIVE reach their fundraising goal and to "help Kevin" come down from the roof!

Find more about STRIVE here and more about Kevin's effort here.

Most Mainers are probably familiar with the United Way, but did you know just how much the United Way of Greater Portland does to serve our Southern Maine community? United Way of Southern Maine (UWSM)’s mission is to improve people’s lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community. They UNITE individuals and organizations around our community’s shared vision, Thrive2027, three 10-year goals to improve education, financial stability, and health for every person in Southern Maine.

This fall, United Way is UNITING the community around a message of hope and resilience with their campaign theme, Hopeful for a Thriving Southern Maine. The theme embodies the spirit of Maine sculpture and painter Charlie Hewitt whose hopeful and iconic sign on the rooftop of Woodford Corner’s SPEEDWELL projects building, along with other Hopeful signs across Maine, encourages resilience, unification, and of course, hope.

“Hopeful is not a gift – it’s a challenge. To be hopeful requires action.
It requires commitment. It requires being part of something.” – Charlie Hewitt

 To be Hopeful requires action. So, let’s all show up - UNITED. Together, we can create a Hopeful and thriving future for all in Southern Maine.

What are you hopeful for? Share your hopeful and learn more about how you can give, volunteer, and advocate at uwsme.org.

 TAKE ACTION: This week UWSM kicks off their annual campaign with a drive-thru food drive Friday, September 17 at Wayside Food Programs. The food drive includes a community choice can sculpture contest and event organizations aim to collect over 30,000 meals for the Southern Maine region. Drive-up, drop-off, do good! Learn more at https://fb.me/e/2qUCSSpNi.

                     Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here

Portlanders will know that this isn't the first time the Time & Temp has promoted the Maine Academy of Modern Music, a local organization that aspires to provide Maine youth with the discipline, freedom, and guidance to appreciate the thrill of making contemporary music, instilling in them the power of self-expression. MAMM is dedicated to building leadership through the musical arts.

The good folks over at MAMM hope are putting on summer camps. Students play in a band, perform covers and write original music. Accomplished educators and members of local bands offer inside tips on self-promotion, booking, gigging, the history of rock, and music theory. It’s the total rock star experience!

Learn more about these exciting camps here.

                             Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.

Readers of the blog will recognize this one. This weekend Joe is spreading the word about the Annual St. Peter's Italian Bazaar. Hosted by the St. Peter's Parish in Portland this weekend, the bazaar celebrates the Feast of the Assumption and the Feast of Saint Rocco. The festival includes a road race, delicious food, and more! Find more about the event here, and Joe hopes it's a great success!

                          Photography by Corey Templeton. See more of Corey's photos here and here.