Chickadeeds

Chickadeeds was so honored to support Our Place at their annual HeArt Show ❤️ a talent show of dance, magic, poetry, song, and art! Our High School Leaders left inspired (and in awe!) after spending time with these incredible kids.

Huge thanks to MePowered Pastries for the decorate-your-own heart cookies, Lake Champlain Chocolates for the sweetest chocolate hearts, and Salud for hosting this special afternoon in their beautiful space!

THANK YOU Nourishing Neighbors VOLUNTEERS!

This Sunday March 22nd, we gathered at Preble Street’s South Portland Food Security Hub for our March community service event!

Preble Street’s South Portland Food Security Hub has recently expanded their facilities from serving 2,000 meals a day to the capacity of serving 10,000! 

We were thrilled to roll up our sleeves and help with all aspects of Preble Street’s weekly work, the results of which will be distributed this week to community members in need from their mobile outreach vans.

Our March Impact Report below captures the results 🥁🥁🥁... Together, we:

🙌 Gathered 70 volunteers who proved many hands make light work! 
🍝 Collected 54 boxes of nonperishable food donations for Preble Street’s pantry
🥜 Collected 30 lbs of trail mix ingredient donations for immediate use 
📣 Heard from Preble Street about their mission to provide essential services to individuals experiencing homelessness,, including food, clothing, and connection to resources
🧑‍🍳 Prepared 504 servings of curry potato salad for dinner service 
🍲 De-stemmed bunches of parsley for use in this week’s fish chowder and soup broth
🥨 Mixed 320 trail mix bags packed full of healthy protein, dried fruits, and mix-ins
🍪 Made 324 oatmeal cookie sandwiches with frosting and a pop of colorful sprinkles
👝 Stuffed 800 brown bag mobile snacks
🥪 Make 210 PB&J sandwhiches
🧦 Bundled 2,500 donated socks for distribution
🐾 Packaged 465 bags of dog food for distribution  
🍲 Took a guided tour of the newly completed Food Security Hub
⏳ Donated a total of 140 hours of service

Nonprofit partner:
Food sponsor:

Registration is now open for our March event, supporting the urgent work of Preble Street!

Preble Street currently cooks and distributes 2,800 meals per day and is working toward a goal of stockpiling 50,000 frozen emergency meals.

During this event onsite at their newly expanded Food Security Hub in South Portland, volunteers will divide into stations to help with all aspects of Preble Street’s operations:

🧑‍🍳 Help with Kitchen Prep
👝 Stuff brown bag mobile snacks
🥪 Make PB&Js
🥜 Prep bags of Trail Mix
🍪Make sandwich cookies
🧦 Bundle donated socks for distribution
🍲Take a tour of the newly expanded Food Security Hub

BRING YOUR OWN:
• Reusable water bottles for hydration
• Optional donations at check-in from Preble St’s pantry list:
- Trail mix ingredients such as M&Ms, chocolate chips, pretzels, and other fun mixings. We have nuts and dried fruits covered!
- Pasta, pasta sauce, jams or jellys

Nonprofit Partner:

www.chickadeeds.org/events to register!

Thank you for your partnership to support our HS Leaders’ 2026 Advocacy Day at the Maine State House.

Through meetings with six elected officials, Monday Feb 2, 2026 became a behind-the-scenes tour of the State House and demonstration on how democracy is designed to work.

Fourteen HS Leaders, representing 3 Southern Maine school districts, shared their support of LD 335 and related funding to continue access to affordable health care centers and reproductive freedom for Mainers.

While in conversation with Maine State Senators Carney, Duson, and Pierce, Representative Boyer, Secretary of State Bellows, and Attorney General Frey on family planning funding, HS leaders also had the honor to discuss policy related to recent increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in Portland, where our elected officials find hope, and how citizens can pursue paths into meaningful legislative work.

We are deeply appreciative of the time and dialogue offered by , , , , , and Attorney General Aaron Frey — an inspiring and thought-provoking experience ⚖️

Thank you (United Way of Southern Maine) for hosting Chickadeeds’ High School Leaders Mid-Year Meeting last week!

We are deeply grateful for the chance to learn about United Way’s mission to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities and affect systemic change from President & CEO Dan Coyne and Director of Program Evaluation Valerie Franks!

While gathered, we also conducted this cohort’s mid-year check in to celebrate:

- 27 High School leaders committed to weaving community service into their lives
- 5 School Districts represented
- 601.5 Total volunteer hours donated by this cohort to date, supporting
- 38 Local nonprofit causes

Carousel images highlight this cohort’s Volunteer Residencies with and , as well as monthly projects supporting , , , and .

These leaders have 6 months remaining in their year of service — and we are cheering them on! Our community is better due to your listening, learning, and personal contributions ⭐️💪❤️

Thank you Holiday Bash Volunteers + Present Donors!

For the 4th year in a row, we tapped into some serious collective cheer to throw the 2025 Holiday Bash at the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine for 170 club members and their staff!

Together in advance of the event, we:

🎁 Collected 170 gifts from the Club’s holiday gift wishlist
🧤Collected warm clothing items for the Club’s free closet

Then together at the event, we

🙌 Gathered 60 volunteers to pull off the Holiday Bash at the Club!
⛄ Decked the Club’s lobby hall for the season
💌 Led a craft holiday photo card station for kids to bring home
✂️ Had a blast making festive, holiday colored paper chains
❄️ Led a snowflake ornament making station
⛄ Led 2 pin-the-nose on the snowman game stations
☕ Whipped up a hot cocoa bar
🎄Led a yummy holiday tree cake decorating station
🥾Organized the Club’s Free Closet + added new winter donations
🍽️ Served a homemade 4 course meal for kids and staff
🎁 Handed out presents from the Club’s wishlist
🍫 Distributed donated Lake Champlain vegan caramel chocolate bags
⏳ Donated a total of 150 hours of service

Nonprofit partner: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine
Event partner:
Event partner:
Event sponsor:
Event sponsor:

We loved this powerhouse partner moment at our November community service event, Feel The Warmth!

Present in this month’s work:
Nonprofit partner:
State volunteer agency:
Event support:
Event convener:

Grateful for our company in this work 🧡

We are grateful for our volunteers this November!

Yesterday, Nov 23rd, we held our November community service event with nonprofit partner WindowDressers. Together, we:

❤️ Gathered 65 volunteers
🌎 Heard from WindowDressers about their mission to help keep Mainers warm, reduce heating bills, and take climate action one window at a time!
🪟Build 50 window insert frame models that will be used by WindowDresser staff when leading build events or conducting home site visits!
🧣Made 7 double-lined fleece blankets for donation to Maine Needs!

Sending our best wishes to as they hit the road preparing Mainers for winter!

Thank you October volunteers + !

On our first beautiful Sunday in October , we gathered in Falmouth, Maine for a day of habitat restoration. Together, we: 

❤️ Gathered 58 volunteers
  🦅 Heard from Maine Audubon about their work for wildlife preservation AND an overview on  plant life cycles + their role supporting our ecosystem’s insect and bird populations
🌿 Planted 339 new plants to restore Maine Audubon’s entry bird and butterfly meadow
🌱 Collected and harvested thousands of seeds for freezing, selling, and future planting 
🦋 Launched seed balls by slingshot for native seed distribution to support biodiversity

Thank you as always to snack sponsors for fueling our volunteers! 

We can’t wait to watch this meadow grow and wish everyone a warm and beautiful fall!

Event reminder for registered volunteers for this Sunday’s Meadow Restoration at Gilsland Farm!

Check in by 1:50 pm at beautiful Gilsland Farm for a hands-on day of habitat restoration with Maine Audubon. Together, we will:

🪻Replant a meadow at the sanctuary’s entrance with native plants that support birds and local wildlife
🌱Harvest and process seeds for spring, and
🌸 Make and launch seed balls into the meadow

PARKING DETAILS
Upon entering Gilsland Farm Road, drive past the new barn construction and park in the farthest parking lot from the road, adjacent to the Visitor Center.

PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN
• Reusable water bottles
• Work gloves or borrow ours

EVENT DETAILS
• Capacity for 50 volunteers, all ages. Please let us know if your RSVP has changed! There is a waitlist of this event.
• Dress for digging and planting. This event is rain or shine!

www.chickadeeds.org/events for more details!

Nonprofit partner:

Today is the day! Rain or shine, is hosting a mural unveiling to celebrate our June project with artist lead .chevez and nonprofit partners and !