Greater Farmington

The Healthy Community Coalition (HCC), Farmington’s Communities for Children Partner, became a Community of Promise in December 2000. HCC and Franklin County Health Network serve as sponsors for Communities for Children/Farmington’s Promise as they work on children’s issues in this Western Maine community.

HCC is a broad-based community initiative that has been in place for 10 years. It was one of the first Communities for Children partners and has created a number of programs for children and youth under the C4C umbrella. In the fall of 2000 the HCC Youth Task Force, comprised of youth and adults, became the Children’s Leadership Council. The Farmington C4C has also established a collaborative relationship with the Maine Mentoring Partnership.

Theater for Peace is a collaborative project of the HCC, C4C and Foothill Arts and was first created by the C4C VISTA member. Under the guidance of a school theater educator, students from Jay and Mount Blue High Schools selected topics, developed and wrote their own theater pieces through a dynamic process of theater improvisation.

Students in the audience make decisions for characters, assist performers and discuss the consequences of choices made during the performances. Because students choose topics and stories that are true to life for them, the skits offer accurate and important information on relationships, physical and chemical abuse, suicide and mental health. Student actors acquire new talents, resources and enhanced skills as facilitators, while audience members are given the impetus to work out problems in a new way. This program has received grant support from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation - $2,500 in its first year and $8,500 for the current year.

The Healthy Community Coalition Saddleback Youth Initiative was established in response to concerns about the well being of youth that were generated in response to the Columbine Colorado high school killings and by a series of bomb threats at the Farmington area’s five high schools. The yearlong initiative offered an opportunity for high school students to take the lead in identifying problems, to design an event – the Saddleback Youth Town Meeting – to debate issues with their peers and propose programs that the community is now pursuing.

The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) and C4C/HCC hosted a weeklong Suicide Prevention campaign at UMF, led by the C4C VISTA volunteer. Informational packets were made and distributed to university faculty, staff and personnel describing the Yellow Ribbon campaign and the Gatekeepers Program; the Life Keepers Quilt was displayed at the Student Center; and an informational table was provided. HCC Board Member Grace Eaton continues her leadership in educating the public and gave a moving presentation during the UMF week.

Contact Greater Farmington C4C