Next up on the Time & Temp Sign, Joe is promoting a more global cause: the Konbit Sante Cap-Haitian Health Partnership. This organization started in Portland as a group of health care professionals, business people, and other interested parties who shared a desire to work on building a sustainable health system in a community somewhere in the developing world. In 2001, a Haitian doctor doing his residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine told them about Cap-Haitian, Haiti. Following a May 2001 site visit to Cap-Haitien, in November 2001, they formally established a partnership with Justinian University Hospital ( JUH) in Cap-Haitien, the second largest teaching hospital in Haiti. Today, Konbit Sante continues its established relationship with the Haitian Ministry of Health, partners with four health facilities in Greater Cap-Haitien and supports initiatives in women and children's health, infrastructure improvements, supply chain, emergency response, and quality improvement, training and management.  Joe urges you to learn more about this inspiring local organization by going to their website.

This Saturday, May 30th, is the Partnership's Sixth Annual Maine Walks with Haiti and 4-mile Run. Find more about this fun Portland event here. Joe hopes the weather cooperates and that the walk/run goes off without a hitch!

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

When possible, Joe likes to use the Time & Temperature sign to promote causes related to children and families. That's why the sign is currently flashing for the Children's Tumor Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by neurofibromatosis (NF), the term for three distinct disorders: NF1, NF2 and schwannomatosis. CTF's mission is to advance peer-reviewed research to develop treatments and cures for NF; support persons with NF and their families by making thorough and accurate information readily available; assist in developing clinical centers and best practices to improve access to quality healthcare for those who live with NF; and expand public awareness of NF to improve diagnoses, increase understanding of the challenges that NF presents, and encourage support for NF research. May is NF Awareness Month, so Joe wanted to spread the word about this great organization, which you can find more about here. He applaud's CTF's goal of one day eradicating NF and, in the meantime, doing what we can for those affected by it.

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

Every 38 minutes, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories; every five days, it is the wish of a Maine child. Make-A-Wish's mission is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Joe has always been touched by this amazing organization, and he hopes that the Walks for Wishes event, Thursday May 21st, is a great success. Please find more about this event here, and please try to lend a hand to this organization in any way you can.

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

If there's one thing Joe likes better than lunch, it's lunch for a good cause. Just such a lunch will be held this Tuesday, May 19, the date of this year's Leadership Luncheon, put on by the Maine Women's Fund. The mission of the Maine Women's Fund is to transform the lives of Maine women and girls through strategic grantmaking, community engagement and support to nonprofit organizations dedicated to social change. The Fund's vision is a just and caring society in which Maine women and girls thrive so communities prosper. Since 1989, the Fund has granted almost $1.7 million to organizations across the state. Find more about this great organization here, and more about the Leadership Luncheon here. Joe wishes the Fund continued success, and hopes the event goes well!

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

As a personal injury attorney, Joe sees Mainers unfortunately injured in many walks of life, often in avoidable accidents. Joe says there's no such thing as being too safe. With summer fast approaching, Joe has been thinking a lot lately about boat safety. The United States Coast Guard is hosting an open house and BoatSMART event to commemorate National Safe Boating Week. This event includes tours of Coast Guard facilities and boats, boating safety seminars and displays, a kayak rescue demonstration, and more fun activities. The event is Saturday, May 16th, 10am-3pm in South Portland. Find more about National Safe Boating Week here,

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

Joe prides himself on going to work each day and helping to provide thousands of his fellow Mainers with access to justice. Joe believes that our legal system works best when everyone has access to it, which is why he's happy to promote the Muskie Fund for Legal Services, a nonprofit that supports the direct provision of legal services to low-income and needy elderly Maine residents. The Hon. Edmund S. Muskie Access to Justice Award honors commitment to the public good, advanced through hard thinking, deep feeling, a voice of eloquent civility and a passion for justice. The award is presented each spring at the Muskie Dinner. This year's Muskie Dinner will be held on Wednesday, May 27th, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. This year's Dinner will recognize the Honorable Howard H. Dana Jr. for his leadership in the community and the impact he has had in furthering access to justice in Maine. Joe offers his congratulations to Justice Dana on his achievements, and offers his thanks the Muskie Fund for their tireless work in promoting justice throughout Maine.

Find more about the event here, and more about the organization 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 over 150!) 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 Thursday, May 14, 2015. Feel free to join them at the Woodfords Club, 179 Woodfords St, Portland from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Registration begins at 5:45, with time for networking, appetizers and a glass of wine before the meeting. Joe hopes that if you're a woman who cares about your community then you consider being a part of this exciting new organization. Find more about 100 Women here.

Photography by Gabriel Reuben. See more of his work here.