Prosperityme

Maine at a crossroads: Building the workforce of tomorrow - Amjambo Africa October arrives in Maine with unmistakable signs of change. The mornings are colder, the evenings grow darker, and the leaves begin their brilliant transformation. I have always loved Maine’s four seasons, although I admit that I remain partial to summer. I was born and raised in the Democratic Re...

A stable home can begin with a savings plan.

Every day, the ProsperityME team works alongside people as they build the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to create greater financial stability; from creating a budget, building savings, and working toward the goals that bring greater stability.

Whether it's through Basic Money Management, Saving to Build Wealth, our IDA program, or Housing Navigation, we provide the tools and guidance that can help turn a goal into a plan.

Because financial stability doesn't happen all at once. It happens one step and one goal at a time.

Learn more about how ProsperityME can help: www.prosperityme.org

In recognition of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (October 25-31), Portland Public Health's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is giving away two cleaning kits (worth over $100)! “Wet cleaning” is a great and easy way to protect children from lead poisoning.

To enter the Cleaning Kit Giveaway for free, complete this short entry form. The form includes a brief lead safety screening, which will help our team identify any household lead risks and provide appropriate resources. All information will be kept confidential. This giveaway is open for entries from October 1-October 31, 2026. You must live or stay in Portland or Westbrook to enter.

For questions, contact our team at [email protected].

I’m grateful to be part of “Singing Resistance,” a powerful evening of music, poetry, dance, and community in support of Maine’s immigrant community and the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP).

The evening brings together an extraordinary lineup of Maine artists, including the Pihcintu Multinational Girls’ Choir, Madeleine Hanna and the Jawahir Arabic Music Ensemble, Somali oud player and singer Hadithi Abdulle, Franco-American poet Jeri Thériault, and the Singing Resistance chapters of Portland and Brunswick/Topsham. I’ll be joining by video, and I’ve donated signed copies of my poems, which will be available for purchase by donation.

At a moment when immigrant communities are facing so much uncertainty and fear, gatherings like this matter. Come stand in solidarity—and help support ILAP’s vital work providing legal services, community education, and advocacy for low-income immigrants and their families.

Saturday, October 24 | 7–9 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Woodfords Congregational Church,
202 Woodfords St., Portland, Maine

Admission is by cash donation at the door, with proceeds benefiting ILAP and participating artists impacted by recent immigration activity.

I hope you’ll join us for an evening of music, poetry, community, and resistance.

Woodfords Congregational Church, Portland, Maine Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) UU Church of Brunswick Maine

For people building new lives in Maine, navigating a new country can come with enormous challenges ... from understanding finances and housing to finding resources and opportunities.

ProsperityME is here to help navigate those challenges.

“I can never say enough how these programs have impacted my life.”

Learn more: prosperityme.org

Learn more about this program to assist renters at risk of eviction in today's press release: https://www.mainehousing.org/news/news-detail/2026/09/17/mainehousing-and-project-home-announce-sept.-21-reopening-of-maine-eviction-prevention-program

What can a savings match make possible?

For one ProsperityME IDA Saver, it meant turning an entrepreneurial dream into something concrete:

“For me, this support represents genuine financial security: it allows me to move from planning to the concrete realization of my projects with greater confidence, stability, and peace of mind." - IDA Saver 2026

The IDA program helps eligible participants build savings for education or starting a business, with a $1-for-$1 match.

Want to learn how it works? Join us for our free upcoming virtual information session:

📅 Friday, September 25
⏰ 5:30–6:30 PM
💻 Virtual

Come learn how matched savings can help you move from planning to doing!

Learn more and register at prosperityme.org. Info Sessions

A HUGE thank you to Safe Residential Care LLC for being a Platinum Sponsor of ProsperityME’s 18th Annual Community Block Party!

With your sponsorship Safe Residential Care is helping make this year’s event possible and helping us continue creating opportunities for people and families to build stronger, more connected futures.

Safe Residential Care provides 24-hour care and supervision, personalized assistance, healthcare support, wellness services, and person-centered planning, while also helping the people they support explore their communities, develop interests, build friendships, volunteer, and participate in activities they enjoy.

That commitment to person-centered support, inclusion, and community connection is something we’re proud to recognize and celebrate.

Thank you, Safe Residential Care, for investing in community and for helping ProsperityME bring people together at this year’s Block Party. We are deeply grateful for your partnership. 💙

📅 October 8, 2026
📍 UNE Innovation Hall | Portland, Maine

🎟️ Join us for an evening of community, connection, celebration, food, music, and stories. www.prosperityme.org