Followers of the blog are familiar by now with the Homeless Animal Rescue Team, a local all-volunteer organization that provides a safe refuge to hundreds of homeless cats each year. Well, Joe's team wants you to know about a special event taking place from August 11th to the 15th: HART's Meowgnificent Yard and Bake Sale. This great event is several days of deals and bargains, great finds and lots of fun, and all proceeds go directly to the care of HART's cats. Joe's team thinks you should check this event out at the Exhibition Hall at the Cumberland Fairgrounds, and we thank HART for caring for our feline friends!

Find more about HART here.

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

Have you ever wanted to make a difference in your community but felt like you needed help? Joe knows how much being part of a group can empower an individual, and that's why he's proud to promote the Southern Maine chapter of 100 Women Who Care. 100 Women Who Care Southern Maine is a group of local women who are interested in supporting our communities by contributing to Southern Maine charities together as a group to increase the impact. The organization's mission is to reach out and help the community by finding 100 or more women (the count is currently almost 400!) to each contribute $50 four times a year in order to give $20,000+ annually to local charities. All charities and organizations up for consideration must be in the Southern Maine area. The idea is to keep it local and have an impact that can be seen in our communities!

100 Women's next meeting is tonight, Monday night, August 2nd. Given these strange times, tonight's meeting will be held via ZOOM from 6:30-7:40pm. Lending a helping hand as part of a strong community has never been easier- you can do it from the comfort of your own home!

Find out more about this local organization here, and please consider joining the movement!

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

What better way to celebrate the beginning of a Maine summer than with some lovely music? Today Joe's team is promoting Make Music Portland, a day-long, totally free musical event, aimed at bringing local performers into the spotlight. Along with hundreds of cities around the world, every year on June 21 Make Music Portland rings in the longest day of the year with music and artistry. Join them as they fill local parks, restaurants, backyards, and public and private spaces with hundreds of performances, ranging in style and genre.

This is a free event. There are no costs to attend any performance, or to come join in making music.

Joe's team hopes Portlanders enjoy the music filling the city today. Thanks to all the musicians for making this celebration possible.

Joe's team continues to be impressed by how many local businesses and nonprofits are adapting in order to fulfill their missions during these challenging times. Well, add another to the list: Maine College of Art (MECA) is hosting its annual COLLECT sale virtually this year.

The annual COLLECT Art Sale is online at shop.meca.edu! Buyers have the opportunity to purchase over 450 works from local artists - MECA students, alumni, staff, and friends of the college. During these challenging economic times, artists need your support more than ever.

The sale begins with an online preview, available by reservation now. The sale begins with a virtual opening reception on June 24th. Decor Maine editor Susan Grisanti will host a panel of artists, collectors, and professionals to discuss collecting for both first time and experienced buyers and share highlights from the over 450 pieces of artwork available. Online sales will open at 6pm on June 24th.

Joe's team hopes the event goes off without a hitch, and wishes everyone continued safety and health.

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

Today Joe's team honors the legacy of Whitby Tousignant, who led an extraordinary life. Born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, Whit was saved several times by donated blood. While Whit's family had to say goodbye to him in January of 2012, they celebrate his birthday each year by hosting a memorial blood drive.

There are two ways you can honor Whit's legacy: either by donating blood at a drive held by the American Red Cross, or by donating to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital. Joe's team encourages you to learn more about Whit's inspiring life and ways to honor this extraordinary boy here.

Joe's team loves how diverse Portland has become. Among the many tiles in the mosaic of Portland is our active LGBTQIA community. This week is a celebration of the strides they have made, both from a legal and social perspective. Pride Portland! is a celebration of Portland's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and allied community. The organization's goal is to bring people together to celebrate the achievements of the LGBTQA movement, remember its history, and raise awareness of the work that still needs to be done. Unfortunately this year's festivities have been postponed due to the pandemic, but you can find more about this organization, including a schedule of upcoming events, at its website. Joe's team hopes the festivities can resume soon, and applauds this community for their resilience and strength.

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

Joe's team is truly appreciative of the role the University of Southern Maine plays in our community, so we're helping out by spreading the word about USM's current fundraiser. Today, May 24th, is USM's Day of Giving. Thanks to a generous matching gift, the first $10,000 donated to the Student Emergency Fund through the end of May 24 will be matched, dollar for dollar! Your donation will help keep students in school so they can complete their degree, graduate with less debt and allow students to focus on learning valuable skills they will use to live and work in Maine. Will you help USM reach their 100 donors goal today with a gift?

Please consider giving to USM by going here.

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