Blog Posts

"FIXINGS" FOOD DRIVE Nov. 8th

10/23/2025

The holidays are fast approaching, and we're hosting our annual "Fixings" Food Drive to benefit the Scarborough Food Pantry on Saturday, November 8th, 1:00-3:00, at the Enclave (18 Black Point Drive).

As a complement to the Scarborough Kiwanis Club's generous donation of turkeys for the food pantry, we're collecting the ingredients for a delicious holiday meal: gravy and stuffing, instant potatoes, green bean casserole ingredients, canned pumpkin and corn and fruit. Extras like aluminum foil and roasting pans or festive napkins are needed, too. Shelf staples like pasta and sauce, soups and chowders, brownie and sweet treats ready mixes, salad dressing and condiments, pb&j plus also grocery gift cards in any amount would also be appreciated.

Community SupPORTS STUDENT SUCCESS

9/30/2025

Thank you to all who gave school supplies, sturdy backpacks, and more!

It's estimated parents spent about $144 on average for school supplies alone (>NRF) this year. Families in our community who turn to us for help typically have incomes of less than $3,000 a month, so getting ready for school can take a big bite out of their budgets. Your generosity and thoughtfulness helped worried parents prepare their kids to start the new school year ready to learn.

All of the families are grateful for the help, and here's what a few had to say:

"I can’t thank all of you enough for the backpack and school supplies. It was greatly appreciated and will be a much needed help for this school year. You have made a big impact in our lives."
"Prices of things have gone up and being on a fixed income and being a single parent, every little thing helps a lot. Thank you."
"Thank you so very much. My children loved their backpacks, supplies, socks, and treats."

With leadership gifts from KCV and Town & Country Federal Credit Union, we picked up a few extra of the larger backpacks, and alongside drives hosted by The Enclave, Empeople, Scarborough Rotary, Piper Shores, and the Scarborough Public Library, together our community helped about 155 students and provided supplies to each of Scarborough's 6 schools to ease the burden on teachers. The math department will also get graphing calculators for the 'loaner' program that ensures high school students have the tools needed to keep up with their advanced mathematics studies. An area program providing casework support to a couple dozen at-risk kids also received a donation of backpacks and supplies.

It all adds up to caring about investing in our kids! We're grateful to all our volunteers and generous friends! Thank you!

School Backpack Drive: Investing in Student Success

7/21/2025

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
Empeople Credit Union, 25 Plaza Drive
Scarborough Rotary

See what we need to help students! Thank you!

Drop OFF EVENt

Volunteers will be on hand to accept donations at the Scarborough Public Library on Friday August 22nd 10am-1pm.

Need Help Getting Ready for Back-to-School?

Application

Apply online 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). **

Summerfest, Summer Fun!

7/19/2025

SUMMERFEST! FIREWORKS! FUN!

Friday, August 15th (5-10 pm)
High School sports Fields

Summerfest starts at 5:00 pm, and features a road race, musical acts and entertainment, food, games, and so much more, and finishes up with a spectacular fireworks display. Come on out and enjoy a great evening with your friends and neighbors! Many thanks to all the town staff, especially Community Services, for putting on a great community event year after year.

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

6/1/2025

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.

3 Communities Food Drive

4/21/2025

Be the Change

4/2/2025

Food Drive / Shredding Event

3/31/2025

Feds CUT FUNDING FOR FOOD

3/20/2025

Kids who have nutritious meals are healthier overall and succeed more at academics and social skills, that's obvious, but it bears repeating as we are increasingly concerned about the federal administration's funding cuts that will bring hardship to Maine communities.

The USDA's canceled contracts for food for schools and food pantries, for example, comes at a time when at least one in eight Mainers are hungry, including some 45,000 children (about 20% of Maine people under 18). Maine leads New England in food insecurity, and there is hunger right here in Scarborough, too. That's why Project GRACE sponsors food drives, helps families and seniors with groceries, invests in community gardens growing nutritious food, meets the needs of students with gifts like a new 'micro pantry' at the high school. All of this and more is part of our "Feeding our Neighbors" priority to improve access to quality food for people in our community who struggle with the basics: food, clothing, heat, healthcare.

Also just this week the Town reported pauses on federal funding for two USDOT grants and one Dept. of Energy grant, alongside its concern for the status of funding for the Child Care Subsidy Program, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, Medicare payments for EMA services, and key funds for the School Department's special education and nutrition programs. We appreciate the Town Manager for his careful monitoring of these and other potential impacts to municipal funding. The Town e-news is one way to stay "in the know". Go to: https://www.scarboroughmaine.org/stay-connected/town-e-newsletter.

POP-UP FOOD DRIVE: MAINE MAPLE WEEKEND

3/18/2025

As we look forward to the return of Spring and events like Maine Maple Sunday, we'll be hosting a pop-up "pancakes & more" food drive this Saturday (10-Noon) at 25 Plaza Drive, Oak Hill. Bring pancake mix & syrup, instant oatmeal, PB&J, fruit cups, breakfast bars, non-perishables for the pantry. Grocery gift cards are also needed. Thank you!

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"FIXINGS" FOOD DRIVE Nov. 8th

Community SupPORTS STUDENT SUCCESS

School Backpack Drive: Investing in Student Success

Drop off Locations

Drop OFF EVENt

Need Help Getting Ready for Back-to-School?

Summerfest, Summer Fun!

SUMMERFEST! FIREWORKS! FUN!

Friday, August 15th (5-10 pm)
High School sports Fields

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

3 Communities Food Drive

Be the Change

Food Drive / Shredding Event

Feds CUT FUNDING FOR FOOD

POP-UP FOOD DRIVE: MAINE MAPLE WEEKEND

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Categories

Archives

Drop off Locations

Drop OFF EVENt

Need Help Getting Ready for Back-to-School?

SUMMERFEST! FIREWORKS! FUN!

Friday, August 15th (5-10 pm)High School sports Fields

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Categories

Archives

Friday, August 15th (5-10 pm)
High School sports Fields