2008 Annual Report Executive Summary
Empower
In the area of transportation, we have determined that maintenance of the existing public transit system is becoming increasingly challenged by an outdated fleet and given the lack of Federal funding, the maintenance and/or expansion of the public transit system is a challenge shared by many rural states like Maine and will hinder the development, and empowerment of the Enterprise Community. The existing bus service does not currently extend into the most populated portion of the downtown, and the current hours are prohibitive for many people who would rely on the bus for employment transport. Van and volunteer drivers comprise a large part of the transportation network in this area, however funding is challenging there as well. Many seniors are beginning to age out of driving, which will also include a significant portion of the van and volunteer drivers. With an inadequate and difficult to access public transit system, transportation service gaps will become wider affecting many Enterprise Community residents.
The Downtown Education Collaborative (DEC), a key Empower Lewiston partnership, has had a strong year hiring a director, creating a downtown home in a vacant storefront, and establishing it priorities, including a Community Food Assessment and Security project with the respective college and community partners, and Bridging the Digital Divide project, building staffing capacity supporting accessibility of downtown computer labs and providing tutoring and mentor support.
Related to the Community Food Assessment, a small group of people interested in a cooperative store have been meeting to explore the feasibility of developing one in the downtown.
Along with supporting the development of DEC, Empower Lewiston invested heavily in the development of the Downtown Neighborhood Action Plan, from which the need for a housing DVD emerged. The Action Plan is in its final stages of development and being readied for Lewiston City Councilors.
This year, the organization also created a developable site expanding the Enterprise Community by 2 acres to support the expansion of a critical child development service facility. Empower Lewiston’s focus on our priorities will continue throughout the year as we work to complete our existing projects.
Most Significant Accomplishment
The creation of a developable site for expanding the EC by 2 acres outside its current boundaries to support the development of an expanded Sandcastle Preschool facility is a major accomplishment this year.
Sandcastle Preschool provides a growing array of services to support the development of preschool age children with special needs. It has experienced significant growth annually since its founding and its current home in the EC is no longer adequate to support the organization’s needs moving forward. After an exhaustive search for a suitable, affordable site within the EC, Sandcastle partnered with another non-profit, purchasing two acres contiguous from/to the other non-profit to support its expansion.
The creation of the developable site allowed Sandcastle to take advantage of USDA Community Facilities loan monies. Less than 2 miles from its current site, the new site will allow Sandcastle to provide services to more children from the EC (currently a third of their participating children are EC residents) and still be transportation accessible for participants.
Empower
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