News & Updates

School Backpack Drive: Investing in Student Success

8/1/2026

Kids will be heading back to school soon, but many families will struggle to provide the basics like backpacks, notebooks, paper, pens and pencils, rulers and glue sticks. With your help, we can ensure all kids start the first day of school ready to learn, prepared to succeed.

Easy as 1, 2,3 -- you can help a child start the school year prepared to succeed:

Pick up some extra supplies as you shop for your own SHOPPING LIST
Organize a collection at work or in your neighborhood TIPS
Make a gift to sponsor a child’s backpack brimming with supplies SIGN UP

Drop off Locations

Scarborough Public Library, Gorham Road
Town & Country FCU (Scarborough)
Piper Shores
Enclave of Scarborough

Drop OFF EVENt

Volunteers will be on hand to accept donations at the Scarborough Public Library on Friday August 21st (3:00-4:30pm) and Saturday August 22nd (10am-11:30am).

See what we need to help students! Thank you!

HUGE THANK YOU to all our friends & sponsors giving so generously to help students start the year off ready to learn!

Need Help Getting Ready for Back-to-School?

Email [email protected] or call us at 883-5111 to request an application form.

** Child must be a resident of Scarborough or attending school in Cape Elizabeth or Scarborough (Maine). **

Summer IS HERE! LET's Send More Kids to Camp!

6/1/2026

Slip and slide.
It's a hoot on a hot summer's day.

Unfortunately, it’s also what happens to a child’s social and academic skills when school doors close for the summer. Ask any teacher, they’ll tell you kids lose as much as two months of reading and math skills in the weeks between the last and first days of school. Research shows most kids lose a bit over the summer, but low-income kids lose the most because they lack engaging summer activities. Many of those same kids also miss out on healthy meals.

Each summer, local children from low-income families can go to area day camps through stipends made possible by generous gifts to Project GRACE. We in turn give that money to area camps, including a $2,000 gift to Scarborough Community Services.

We make that investment because at camp, children are in an environment that fosters belonging, acceptance, independence and relationships. This experience not only develops social skills, self-esteem and emotional intelligence, it builds future leaders. And kids get healthy meals and snacks to help keep them on track.

Nonprofits Return to the Farmers Market

5/31/2026

On any given Sunday during the market season (June through October), residents and visitors can enjoy fresh, local vegetables and fruits, hand-crafted items, and sample artisan foods and coffee. The market is open and is located in the parking lot in front of Town Hall, 259 US Route 1.

Local nonprofit organizations and charitable groups are returning to the market this year, too! Look for the ScarboroughHelps.org tent to learn more about and connect with all the exciting ways the people of Scarborough are serving their community.

One of the three founders of the Scarborough Farmers' Market, Marla Zando, said, “We created this nonprofit booth to benefit the community of nonprofits in Scarborough, support the important work they do, help these groups network within the nonprofit community, fundraise and friendraise, all while supporting the farmers and artisans at the market.

In MEMORY OF CHIEF ROBERT A. MOULTON

5/1/2026

Chief Robert Moulton died on Sunday, leaving a legacy of service and love for his family, friends and community. We are profoundly grateful for his more than twenty years of service as Vice President of our Board of Directors.

Project GRACE is who and where we are today because of his leadership, dedication, and compassion for his neighbors. Robbie seized opportunities where others shied away, he saw people for their potential, and was willing to do whatever it took to keep our community safe, whole, and caring. He was quick to smile, offer encouragement, look for the good.

Our hearts are heavy, our farewells have come upon us far too soon, but we are comforted and blessed by so many fond memories of our treasured friend Robbie.

Obituary, Robert A. Moulton, 1957-2026

1st Annual Chili & Chowder Cook-off

3/16/2026

Hey there, foodies! Get ready to taste some incredible chili & chowder creations at Scarborough’s first annual Chili & Chowder Cook-Off at Throttle Care Club (10 Dynamic Drive). Join us on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. for an evening of great food, live music, door prizes, and plenty of local flavor. Watch restaurants compete for bragging rights as our local celebrity judges (our very own Bert Follansbee is one!) decide the winners hand out awards — plus vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice Award.

Participating restaurants include: - Gritty McDuff's - Pine Tree Seafood & Produce - Cowbell Scarborough - Pat's Pizza of Scarborough - On the Vine Marketplace - Sea Salt Lobster Restaurant - Smoke BBQ.

Come hungry and bring your friends — all proceeds benefit three great causes: Project GRACE, Scarborough Education Foundation and the Scarborough Explorer’s Club.
You won't want to miss this deliciously fun community event — get your tickets now!

Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/chili-chowder-cook-off-tickets-1982085010623

Sponsored by Ruth Summers KW Realty and Scarborough Living Magazine.

Waffles for Kids

3/9/2026

Join the Enclave of Scarborough at their annual Waffle Breakfast to ensure all kids have breakfast over April vacation! Project GRACE is working with the Scarborough Food Pantry to give families a boost over school vacation, and this support from the Enclave community really means a lot! Thank you!

Where: Enclave of Scarborough, Black Point Road
When: Sunday March 22nd 9-11 a.m.
$10 per person (or bring shelf stable / non perishable breakfast foods)

We Stand With ALL Our NEighbors

1/24/2026

We welcome ALL newcomers as our neighbors. We stand in solidarity with Maine's immigrant community, and everyone facing threats to their safety, dignity, and human rights.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. FIND HELP.
ilapmaine.org/
maineimmigrantrights.org/
presentemaine.org/
aclu.org
maineaclu.org

Project GRACE is deeply troubled by recent federal immigration enforcement actions in Maine and across the country. Everyone in the US is protected by the US Constitution and we all have fundamental human rights, regardless of our immigration status. Our rights, enshrined in the Constitution and other laws, include the right to remain silent, the right to refuse to consent to searches without a judicial warrant, and the right to due process. We also have the right to speak up and protest peacefully in the face of injustice.

If you encounter ICE or Border Patrol:

You have the right not to open the door to your home, unless the agent has a signed judicial warrant. An administrative warrant does not grant ICE permission to enter or search your house or areas of your business not open to the public.
You have the right to ask an officer, "Am I free to leave?"
You have the right not to answer questions and to tell an officer, "I choose not to say anything."
Should ICE or Border Patrol detain you, do your best to stay calm. Do not run away and do not resist. Get help to exercise your right to due process.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors: It's What Mainers Do.

1/23/2026

These are troubling times for all Americans. We're hearing from a lot of folks who want to know what they can do to help, who are asking how Project GRACE is responding.

Project GRACE is doing what we always do: we listen to our neighbors when they call. We send fuel assistance, 100 gallons at a time; we provide grocery cards for friends taking food and supplies to families sheltering at home; we host food drives for the Scarborough Food Pantry; we work with our allies in our schools, library, and fire&public safety so they can respond to immediate needs faster than we can.

We're helping our neighbors as we have done for nearly 25 years. You can pitch in by coming to our Fuel Rally on Saturday Feb7th at the library www.fuelrally.org or by making a gift today or by picking up a couple of clynk bags at the clerk's office at Town Hall. Every penny, every dollar, really can make a difference, and your support means a lot to us, to our neighbors. https://projectgracemaine.weebly.com/thankyounotes We can all show one another kindness and compassion, help someone shovel out after a storm, hold a door open, smile... and that doesn't cost a thing.

Scarborough is a community that cares, and we lend a hand when our neighbors need us.
It's what Mainers do. We look out for one another.

tips to Keep Snug

12/30/2025

Winter and those colder temperatures are here. Have you tried any of these easy and inexpensive ways to warm up and stay cozy? Got any other ideas for us? We'd love to hear'em!

Put on a sweater, fuzzy slippers or warm socks, or knit yourself a cozy blanket to warm your body, not the whole room.
Make a cuppa - cocoa, cider, tea, soup - and warm up from the inside.
Close the door! Your Mamma told ya not to heat the whole outdoors, and she knew a thing or two! Remember to close closet doors and close off unheated areas of your home, too.
Apply a window-insulator kit to reduce drafts and create an extra thermal barrier. (Don't forget to close curtains after dark, and open them during the day to let the sun in for solar gain.) You'll feel warmer, tool. >>See how to do it.

Seal air leaks in and around your home (vents, windows, and doors are common problem areas). You can apply caulk, foam, weather stripping to stop air leaks. >>Learn more about weatherization.

Install foam gaskets to seal receptacles and switch boxes. It's an inexpensive and very easy DIY to reduce drafts. >>See how to do it.

Check your heating vents to be sure they aren't obstructed by furniture, clutter or curtains. If your ducts are blocked, the room won’t heat the way it’s supposed to, causing the unit to work harder and less efficiently.

Make sure your boiler or furnace is cleaned and serviced annually by qualified personnel to extend the life and efficiency of the heating system while ensuring safe operation.

Turn the thermostat only to the desired temperature. Your home won't heat any faster by cranking it up. Consider getting a programmable thermostat that adjusts to your schedule.

Turn down the thermostat. If you have a furnace or boiler, consider turning down your thermostat to 55 degrees when the house is unoccupied and to 60 degrees at night when you are sleeping. The more you turn down the heat when you don’t need it, the more you will save. DO NOT turn your furnace on/off like a light switch - that can cause damage to the furnace - use the thermostat to control temperatures.

More tips and ideas at Efficiency Maine >>Check'em out here!