BANGOR, Maine (Press Release), March 30, 2009. Beginning April 19, at 12:00 noon, several Bangor area churches will unite to provide a meal every Sunday to anyone who is hungry. Columbia Street Baptist Church, Bangor Baptist, Redeemer Lutheran and St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church will take turns providing food and serving a meal every Sunday. Currently, the meal consists of soup, bread and cookies. The Soup kitchen’s location is a large room with adjacent kitchen on the first floor of Columbia Street Baptist Church, 63 Columbia Street, Bangor, 945-6616.

Columbia Street Baptist Church’s physical location in the heart of Downtown Bangor, and close proximity to the Bangor Homeless Shelter, Shaw House, and Manna Ministries, makes it a great place to host a soup kitchen and serve a meal to those who would otherwise have no meal on Sunday.

The general feeling within the community is that a meal on Sunday is needed. Manna Ministries and The Salvation Army Soup Kitchen—who serve meals during the week—are closed on Sunday. The Bangor Homeless Shelter turns away 20-30 people each Sunday. Once word gets around, the Soup kitchen expects to serve 80 to 90 people each week.  During these tough economic times, it’s possible the need for a Sunday soup kitchen will be here for a very long time.

BANGOR, Maine (Press Release), March 31, 2009. Columbia Street Baptist Church has performed the dramatic play “The Last Supper” every two years since 1979.  The Ernest K. Emurian’s play is based on the famous painting “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci — created between the years 1495–1498.

This contemporary dramatization brings the painting to life. Taking place in the upper room, the painting represents the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples before His betrayal. The scene shows the tension filled moment when Jesus reveals that one of the disciples will betray him before the night is over. The play tells the story of the dismay, amazement and confusion this statement caused as each character reflects on their relationship with Jesus and wrestles with the statement “Is it I?”

Without knowing the history behind Leonard da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”, the figures in the painting could easily be eating a normal meal, discussing events of the day or telling of the glorious miracles they had seen. Andrew might tell of the boy who’s loaves of bread and fish fed thousands. Judas Iscariot might once again, express his anger at Mary for wasting precious oil washing the feet of Jesus, or his wishes that Jesus would hurry and become the King of the Jews. However, is it well documented that the intent of da Vinci was to portray the moment of betrayal.

Some of the players have performed this play numerous times. Mark Tuck, who plays “Doubting” Thomas, takes the role very seriously. “Doubt has stopped me from doing God’s will in my life more than once. Playing the role of Thomas has made me really look at my life and the things I have and some of the things I have not done in my life.”

Tyke McKay has played Andrew at least a dozen times, starting in 1987. At the time, the youngest man in the performance, playing the oldest disciple. “Andrew is an interesting contrast to the impetuousness of Peter. He is quiet and contemplative.  Traits I do not possess. It seems amazing to me that over the years I need less and less white hair powder. I look forward to doing the play once again as I search for new meaning, no longer a young man, but one closer to Andrew’s age with a little seasoning.”

Chuck Hillman has played Thaddeus at least four times. “It becomes more meaningful each time, as I learn more about Thaddeus, and the other disciples. It is an honor to be a part of the group, and humbling to try to portray the feelings of the disciples at that time . . . realizing that all the information was gleaned from scripture, it becomes very informative, and interesting.”

“The Last Supper” will be presented Thursday April 9, and Friday April 10, at 7:00 pm in the main sanctuary of Columbia Street Baptist Church, 63 Columbia Street, Bangor.

Many non profit organizations are feeling the effects of the economic downturn and facing the difficult decisions of whether to reduce program offerings, staff or other operations. Many realize that if they had a more robust endowment when the economy turns sour, they would have greater financial stability to ride out the storm.

Planning for Good, www.planningforgood.net

a Maine-based firm out of Camden, offers education, training and support to non-profit organizations seeking to build their endowments through planned gifts. In 2009, Planning for Good is offering a series of Workshops designed to support organizations beginning or continuing to develop their planned giving efforts.

The workshops are designed for development and executive staff as well as board members as an opportunity to learn practical tips for designing and implementing policies and procedures to optimize planned giving to support building endowment and organizational sustainability. The workshops will be led by Sr. Consultant, Sarah Ruef-Lindquist, JD, CTFA.

Sarah Ruef-Lindquist

Ms. Ruef-Lindquist has a background in law, philanthropy and wealth management. She is a frequent speaker and writer on the topic of planned giving. Participants of other programs on planned giving she has presented have remarked:

“You made a complex topic accessible.  I came in knowing nothing. Now I know at least which questions to ask” and

“Open, easy presentation style” and “(Materials are) Superb. Looking forward to revisiting them frequently” and

“Opened my eyes to aspects of planned giving I have never experienced” and finally “Her pace was perfect and her use of the materials – providing just enough information on the side – produced a fascinating session.”

The schedule of workshops is as follows:

April 6 Gift Acceptance Policies: A strong foundation for your planned giving program

Necessary input; Marketing aspects; Managing risk & maximizing opportunities

June 8 Marketing Planned Giving: Focus on Board, Professional Advisors and Prospects

Developing network of professional advisors through board and other networks; Do’s and Don’ts for outreach methods and materials

September 14 Legacy Societies: Designing Meaningful recognition for donors

Creating recognition that supports donor relations and prospect development in keeping with organization’s culture

November 9 2009 Updates:  Trends, Developments and Ideas to support planned giving

Regulatory and legal developments that impact charitable gifting; Outlook on estate and gift tax’s changing landscape, Reports from the field of planned giving

All programs will be held 9:30a – 12:30p at the Maine State Bar Association Offices, 124 State Street, Augusta. For directions, visit www.mainebar.org. Advanced registration is required. While there is no cost to board or staff members of Planning for Good Clients, others will be charged $175 per attendee per program, or $800 to register for all 5 workshops.  FMI, call (207) 975-5165, or visit www.planningforgood.net. SPACE IS LIMITED

PORTLAND, ME – Rosa Scarcelli, owner and president of Stanford Management LLC, has been named to the Aspen Institute’s 2009 Henry Crown Fellowship Program.

Scarcelli, 39, is the first Mainer to be named a Crown Fellow. She joins a class of 21 that includes best-selling author Timothy Ferris; Rebecca Blumenstein, international news editor of the Wall Street Journal; and Preeta Bansal, senior policy advisor to President Obama in the Office of Management and Budget. Past fellows have included Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts; Secretary of Education Arne Duncan; Jack Markell, businessman and governor of Delaware; and economist Sonal Shah, a member of the Obama-Biden Transition team.

Founded in 1997, the Aspen Institute’s prestigious Henry Crown Fellowship is designed to engage the next generation of leaders in the challenge of community-spirited leadership. It brings together entrepreneurial young executives and professionals under age 45 who have already achieved conspicuous success in their chosen fields and are at a point of inflection in their lives and careers.

A native of Wilton, Maine, Scarcelli had an early passion for real estate and land development, seeking out investments that incorporate provisions for quality affordable housing, restore and reuse historically significant properties, and that assist in revitalizing neighborhoods and reinvest in local communities. Through Stanford Management, she currently owns and manages 80+ affordable housing complexes in Connecticut, Maine, Mississippi and Pennsylvania, and continues to grow their portfolio.

From 1999-2005, she was owner and President of DE Property Management LLC. Prior to that she was Development Director for Landmark America LLC, an industry leading multi-family real estate development company, as well as Development Coordinator for Gleichman & Company, an affordable housing development company in Portland. A graduate of Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Art and Art History, she served as Sen. George Mitchell’s first senate page and as an intern for the New York City Council. Last year she served on the New England Finance Committee for Barack Obama. She is a member of YPO, the Women’s International Network of YPO, the International Women’s Forum, the Maine Women’s Forum, and is a member of the Steering Committee for the Portland Museum of Art.

“We are delighted with this year’s class of Henry Crown Fellows,” said Peter Reiling, Executive Director of the program. “For society, they represent a potent force of talent,
ready to focus their energies on some of the greatest challenges of our times. For them, they are embarking on a personal journey—a journey ‘from success to significance’—that will change their lives forever.”

The Henry Crown Fellowship Program was established in 1997 to honor the life and career of Chicago industrialist Henry Crown (1896-1990) and was initially funded by the Henry and Gladys Crown Charitable Trust Fund. The Fellowship is the flagship program within the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN), now comprising over 900 Fellows from 43 countries, all of whom are committed to applying their entrepreneurial talents to address the foremost challenges of their organizations, communities, and countries. Individuals do not apply to the Henry Crown Fellowship Program; they must be nominated by recognized leaders of business and community organizations or by Fellows, senior mentors, members of the Henry Crown Fellowship Board of Overseers or trustees of the Aspen Institute, and are chosen from a wide pool of young and accomplished entrepreneurial leaders.

The Aspen Institute is an international non-profit organization founded in 1950. Its mission is to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues.

CHARLOTTE WHITE CENTER RECEIVES EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT THROUGH

THE TD CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Camden, ME.   Many non profit organizations are feeling the effects of the economic downturn and facing the difficult decisions of whether to reduce program offerings, staff or other operations.   Many realize that if they had a more robust endowment when the economy turns sour, they would have greater financial stability to ride out the storm.

TD Banknorth, through the TD Charitable Foundation, is supporting Charlotte White Center’s (CWC) staff in participating in philanthropy training offered by Planning for Good. The workshops to be led by Sr. Consultant, Sarah Ruef-Lindquist, JD, CTFA will help participants gain the tools to build their endowment to improve their ability to continue to provide programs in the future.

Erica Kimball, Development Director for the Charlotte White Center noted, “With Sarah’s training and support, I am sure that we can create a sound philanthropic plan for the Charlotte White Center that will enable us to serve those who need our support for years to come. Without TDBanknorth’s financial support, reaching our goals would be even more challenging, and we want to thank them for their help.”

The Charlotte White Center, which serves adults and children with cognitive and intellectual disabilities and behavioral health challenges, provides support services in Piscataquis, Penobscot, Hancock, Washington, Franklin, Somerset, and Waldo Counties, with administrative offices based in Dover-Foxcroft. The mission of the Charlotte White Center is to respect and value ALL people and empower them to be their best. CWC has been doing that for thirty years; this will enable them to continue to honor that mission.

Planning for Good, a Maine-based firm out of Camden offers education, training and support to non-profit organizations seeking to build their endowments through planned gifts. In 2009, Planning for Good is offering a series of Workshops designed to support organizations beginning or continuing to develop their planned giving efforts.  The grant from the TD Charitable Foundation will cover the cost of staff member Erica Kimball attending all five workshops.

The workshops Ms. Kimball will be attending are designed for development and executive staff as well as board members as an opportunity to learn practical tips for designing and implementing policies and procedures to optimize planned giving to support building endowment and organizational sustainability.

For more information about the Charlotte White Center and its philanthropic plans, please contact Erica Kimball at (207) 947-1410 ext. 122 or via email at ekimball@charlottewhite.org.

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates under the trade names TD Banknorth and TD Bank and is one of the 20 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation’s mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Banknorth and TD Bank operate, having made over $44.6 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The efforts of the Foundation are coordinated locally through TD Banknorth and TD Bank’s community relations departments and are focused on the areas of economic empowerment, youth development and community support. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation including an online grant application is available at www.TDBanknorth.com or at www.TDBank.com.