Sometimes being small has its advantages—when you are closer to the ground, and pay attention to what you are hearing around you, it can be easier to respond to community needs, or “voices”, quickly, with flexibility, and with committed focus.
Healthy Peninsula is celebrating our 20th anniversary this summer! We began as an original Healthy Maine Partnership in 2001 and over the years transformed into a dedicated and determined independent community health organization. Although we are a small non-profit organization, we serve the nine towns of the Blue Hill Peninsula and Deer Isle, and we bet that at least one of our programs or collaborations has touched your life in some way over the years. We focus on improving health and well-being for people of all ages—Early Childhood Interest Group, Family Resource Center, Magic Food Bus, Summer Garden Camp, Cooking with Seniors, Thriving in Place, Choices That Matter, Age Friendly Coastal Communities—and we support other community groups as we work with them hand-in-hand, every day, every month, throughout the year.
Anniversaries mean remembrances, acknowledgments, and celebrations! We invite community members to Healthy Peninsula’s ice cream social on Monday, August 16th from 5–7pm, on our office lawn at 10 Parker Point Road, across the street from the Blue Hill Public Library. Drop by to meet our staff and Board members, look at our displays and posters, learn more about what we do, thank our volunteers, and, of course, enjoy a cup of locally made ice cream. Round off the evening by walking to the Blue Hill Town Park and dance to Flash! in the Pans steel band as they perform a benefit concert for our organization from 7–9pm. Healthy fun and exercise for the entire family!
If you’d like to become involved in Healthy Peninsula’s Initiatives or programs, the staff or Board members are happy to provide more information and describe volunteer opportunities. We have also created a special, one-time, 20/20 fundraising campaign to help us begin our next twenty years invigorated with new funding and new friends. Go to our website, healthypeninsula.org for more information on everything Healthy Peninsula and ways to donate. Hope to see you on the 16th!
Written and submitted by Sandy Phoenix (Healthy Peninsula Board Member)