Two years ago, former Mayor Karen Heck convened service providers and community members to address the growing number of Waterville residents living in poverty. From this meeting, the Poverty Action Coalition was born. The coalition is inspired by the work of Dr. Donna Beegle, a renowned poverty educator who teaches the importance of empowering people living in poverty to “cross the bridge” into the middle class.

We are taking steps toward our vision of alleviating poverty with our first project, the Community Investors initiative. Community Investors are people in the Greater Waterville area who have agreed to receive weekly emails about people in need, people who face a barrier to moving out of poverty.

Each request is reviewed by a committee to ensure that all other resources have been explored before the email is sent out. The initiative is grounded in our belief that investing in our most vulnerable residents makes the whole community stronger.

In eight months, we have recruited 226 investors and raised several thousand dollars. Money is needed for some requests, but one does not need money to be an investor. A spare microwave in someone’s garage could be a godsend to a single mother who struggles to balance work and caring for her child. The unworn clothes in the back of someone’s closet could be perfect for another person who needs clothing for an interview.

There has been a lot of bad news in the world of late, but we don’t despair. Good things are happening right here. Each donation, no matter how small, is a worthwhile investment in our community.

For more information about Community Investors, email [email protected]. For more information about the coalition, email me at [email protected].

Paige Barker, Winslow

Americorps VISTA for KVCAP

on behalf of the Poverty Action Coalition