Connection Notes

October 2026

News from the Maine Coalition for Social Connection

Welcome to the first issue of Connection Notes, a short monthly hello from the Maine Coalition for Social Connection. September was a big month: we tabled at the NAMI Maine Walk in Augusta, hosted our National Good Neighbor Day event in Bangor, and launched our social media pages. Here’s what’s next.

Partner spotlight

Heart of Maine United Way: thank you to Elaine Thomas and the United Way team, Matt, Diana, Renee, and colleagues, for providing the Community Hub space for our National Good Neighbor Day event and pitching in throughout the day. Thank you, also, to the Maine Multicultural Center and the Literacy Volunteers of Bangor, for joining us. Community partners like you are what make this coalition real.

Coming up

·        Wednesday, October 21, morning, Maine Prevention Network fall conference panel, Bangor. I have the honor of sitting on a social-connection panel for the conference. The theme of the conference is “Rooted in Community, United in Prevention: The Power of Connection.” This panel will discuss how we can strengthen community connections to build healthier, more resilient environments.

·        Wednesday, October 21, 6:00–7:00 PM — MCSC bimonthly meeting on Zoom (click here to register). September events debrief, a preview of the Age-Friendly Summit keynote, and planning for 2027. All are welcome.

·        Wednesday, October 28 — Age-Friendly Summit, Portland. The Maine Coalition for Social Connection will be providing the opening keynote, which centers the power of social connection, with a “superpower” hearts activity going out to the whole room.

From the hearts wall

Have a superpower? Send it to socialconnectionmaine@gmail.com and we’ll add it to the wall.

This Weekend

Looking for a social connection activity?

Music & Charity Feature: Pine Tree Palooza Music Festival

What: A family-friendly, day-long outdoor music festival celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Pine Tree Society. It features multiple live acts (including local guitar virtuoso Denny Breau and 90s-rock headliner Hello Newman), food trucks, local brews, scenic chairlift rides, a kid zone, and adaptive bike demos.

When: Saturday, October 10, 2026

Where: Lost Valley Ski Area, Auburn, ME

Admission is free, though donations are encouraged to directly support programs for Maine people with disabilities. You can view the concert lineup details on the Hello Newman at Pine Tree Palooza Facebook Page

Follow along

Find us on Instagram and Facebook, and share our launch post to spread the word:
https://www.instagram.com/mcsc_maine
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CT7iKkMWG/

Connection is a basic human need. Maine Coalition for Social Connection