LEWISTON

Androscoggin Bank’s MainStreet Foundation recently announced the recipients of its impact grants for the fourth quarter of 2017 and first quarter of 2018.

Recognizing a need for at-risk kids in Maine to be safe, healthy, active, happy, educated and nourished, the foundation awards grants to organizations actively working to help kids thrive. The grants vary based on the need and are awarded in amounts up to $5,000.

The foundation’s board approved grants to the following organizations:

Fourth quarter 2017 awards:

A total of $20,000 was given to the following five nonprofit organizations:

• Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services (Auburn) — $10,000 was awarded to this nonprofit’s Children’s Advocacy Center of Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties (CAC-AFO) program. CAC-AFO promotes the healing of victims of child abuse by providing a strong community response to investigation, treatment and prevention of abuse.

• Brunswick Area Teen Center (Brunswick) — $2,500 was awarded to this Brunswick-based organization that provides teens a safe place to socialize and gain exposure to a diverse environment. They also help address needs such as homelessness, mental health and food insecurity among those who use the center.

• Camp Ketcha (Scarborough) — $3,000 was awarded to this Scarborough-based organization to help cover the costs of “Youth Wrench Time,” a program that helps teach young people basic bicycle repair skills as part of Camp Ketcha’s larger Portland Gear Hub program.

• Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness (Portland) — $3,500 was awarded to this Portland-based nonprofit to support their free classroom programs that promote safe, respectful and inclusive schools and communities.

• Lewiston Middle School — $1,000 was awarded to Lewiston Middle School to support their Read Across Lewiston program. The program seeks to bring students and the community together around reading and encourage reading at home.

First quarter 2018 awards:

A total of $10,500 was given to the following six nonprofit organizations:

• Camp Angels Inc (Waterford) — $1,000 was awarded to Camp Angels Inc to provide financial assistance to families of diabetic children by providing camp scholarships. These scholarships will allow children to attend camps in which they learn, under the supervision of medical professionals, how to manage their diabetes.

• Junior Achievement of Maine (Portland) — $1,500 was awarded to Junior Achievement of Maine to help with programming to deliver financial literacy education, career planning and entrepreneurship training to 459 second through sixth grade students in Lewiston and Auburn schools.

• Lewiston Auburn Area Housing Development (Lewiston) — $1,000 was awarded to expand the reach of the Aspirations program at the Hillview development of the Lewiston Housing Authority. Funding will help expand the variety of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities offered at the Hillview development as well as support field trips outside of the community.

• Maine Immigrant & Refugee Service (Lewiston) — $1,000 was awarded to support the Youth Bridges Program, a revamping of Maine Immigrant & Refugee Service’s current youth program. The program will offer informative, culturally sensitive and age-appropriate activities while creating a safe and culturally compatible environment that encourages engagement.

• Portland Education Foundation — $1,000 was awarded to allow Portland Education Foundation to support families who find themselves unexpectedly in crisis. The grant will be part of a dedicated fund to be used to support families in crisis by providing assistance with temporary housing, food and transportation during limited periods of time. The goal is to keep students in school, in a stable learning environment, even when families may be experiencing instability in other areas of life.

• United Way of Mid Coast Maine (Bath) — $5,000 was awarded to support the United Way of Mid Coast Maine Diaper Project. The program raises awareness of the struggles some families face to keep an adequate supply of diapers, and increases diaper availability by distributing to 25 organizations that support families throughout Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties and Brunswick and Harpswell.

Foundation statement

“Maine is fortunate to have so many organizations that support Maine’s youth. We’re proud to be able to support them and to encourage the positive impact they make for children and families throughout Maine,” said Steve Closson, chairman of Androscoggin Bank’s MainStreet Foundation.

In 2017, MainStreet Foundation awarded a total of $49,620 in quarterly grants.