One of Joe's favorite nonprofits in Portland has reimagined its spring fundraiser in light of these strange times we're living in.  Show & Tell: A Literary Spectacular, the primary fundraiser for The Telling Room in support of their free writing programs for Maine youth, will take place on October 2nd. This heartfelt and dynamic variety show will be safely performed without an audience in the State Theatre and delivered to your home. It will feature the full original lineup: a solo musical guest appearance by Lady Lamb, storytelling by Kelly Corrigan and Phuc Tran, and readings by Telling Room Poets, all as produced and directed by Sean Mewshaw. You may enjoy the show in the comfort of your own home, either sharing the experience simultaneously with others when the video goes live, or watching at your convenience at a later time.

This year, Show & Tell coincides with the release of A New Land, a groundbreaking anthology of thirty best-ever poems written by Telling Room poets that shows us a truly brave new world where youth voices carry us forward. They ask us to consider, as a community, who we were "when we began," "where we are now," and "who we are becoming." A New Land poets Amanda Dettmann, Siri Pierce, Lulu Rasor, and Benedita Zalabantu are featured as part of the show!

Joe hopes the event is a great success and urges you to learn more here.

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

Having raised three children with his wife, Joe is keenly aware of the many challenges facing young parents, including the financial toll of raising a family. For new parents, there are countless expenses that add up; one of the most consistent is the need for diapers. This week is Diaper Need Awareness Week, a signature initiative of The National Diaper Bank Network. A local organization near and dear to Joe's heart, Portland's Jewish Family Services, became the first National Diaper Bank Network participant in Maine; through the purchasing power of the network, JFS is now able to access diapers and wipes for significantly less than retail price. With the support of many donors and a generous grant from the Fruhman Family Foundation, this year JFS will distribute over 50,000 diapers. Joe applauds the charitable work being done by JFS and hopes that all Portlanders are aware how this wonderful organization is helping our neighbors every single day.

Learn more about Jewish Family Services here.

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

If you're a Portlander and you're not familiar by now with STRIVE University, allow Joe 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 $35,000! Joe 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? Joe was inspired when he visited this organization's website and learned just how tirelessly these folks work to guarantee a quality education for every child, financial stability for every family, and access to healthcare for all.

This week is the United Way of Greater Portland's 2020 Campaign Kickoff Week. With plenty of socially-distant events planned, beginning today you are invited to a week-long smorgasbord of fun, meaningful ways to engage and connect— virtual and safely distanced in support of our UNITED Greater Portland community.

Learn more about the United Way of Greater Portland here, and more about Campaign Kickoff Week here. Joe hopes it's a great success!

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

Joe was sorry to learn of the passing of Portland firefighter Chris Fabian, who left us last week. If you're a Portlander who depends on the services of heroes like Chris, Joe urges you to learn more about his journey here.

Joe offers his condolences to Chris's friends and family. May his memory be a blessing.

Joe loves to support any group that lends a helping hand to those who have bravely served our country, and that's exactly what Veterans Count does. An organization that sprung from Easterseals, another fantastic nonprofit, Veterans Count is a compassionate, responsive, highly-targeted care program for veterans and their families who were “falling through the cracks” as a result of service to their country.

Veterans Count has received the highest praise and support from our national and local elected officials and is viewed as a comprehensive and successful model to emulate throughout the country. As more and more service members and their families continue to struggle with the challenges of multiple deployments, the need to provide support continues to grow. That's why groups like Veterans Count are so vital to our country, and why Joe is happy to spread their message atop the city this week.

Tomorrow, August 22nd, is the annual Barnard Beats event. Get ready to rock in South Berwick at Barnyard Beats to benefit Veterans Count Maine- all while enjoying some AMAZING BBQ! The night will feature the amazing “Impersonators of Romance”, which plays a range of your favorite bands that these impersonators will make you think are really there and also karaoke! Tickets are only $20 (kids $5)and the evening will also feature a silent auction, raffle, WAGON RIDES and some delicious BBQ!

Learn more about Veterans Count here, and more about the Barnard Beats here. Joe hopes the event is a great success!

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

Here's a new one by Joe: Monday of the Minds: A Community Hip Hop Showcase is a fun organization  teaming up with SPACE Gallery and Congress Square Arts to run a few socially distanced events dedicated to the anniversary of Hip Hop today, Tuesday, August 11th. A party in the Bronx in 1973 that birthed the genre, and Monday of the Minds is hoping this brings the community together in a way to reflect positive racial justice. Congress Square Arts was generous enough to help with the city permitting for a 2 PM - 4 PM concert, and SPACE Gallery is running a live stream event at 8 PM highlighting POC DJs in the city. Half of the proceeds from the day will be donated to Maine Inside Out. Joe hopes the event is a great success and hopes you check it out!

These strange pandemic times are forcing local organizations to adapt, and that's just what the Portland Chamber Music Festival is doing. The Portland Chamber Music Festival enhances the cultural life of southern Maine by bringing internationally recognized artists of the highest caliber to Portland to present a wide range of classical and contemporary chamber music, including education and engagement programs for community members of all ages. PCMF's contemporary chamber series, in partnership with SPACE Gallery and other alternative performance venues, features innovative programs with dynamic composers and performers in a more informal setting, often including mixed media such as film, electronics, and theatrical elements.

This year, its 27th year, the PCMF is going online. Classical virtuosity meets the spirit and soul of rock and roll! Charles Yang and Peter Dugan blew the roof off of PCMF’s 2019 season with their original arrangements of tunes by artists from Sam Cooke to Ariana Grande, with electrifying effects and boundless energy. You won’t want to miss this online musical adventure featuring fun and games, and—of course—great music, alongside Artistic Director Melissa Reardon. Tune in for the genre-bending-est entertainment of the summer!

Learn more about this exciting event here. Joe applauds PCMF for continuing to serve their mission in these difficult times.

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