Community Impact Council
The Junior League of Portland, ME successfully launched a partnership with The Opportunity Alliance's Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (CPPC) in 2016 and has decided to continue that partnership. Our partnership with CPPC with supports our current issue area of Reaching Youth at Risk.
In 2016, our first Community Impact goal was to build trust and establish relationships with at-risk communities in partnership with CPPC. We collaborated with CPPC's existing Community Hubs in underserved communities throughout Portland and South Portland to execute monthly Neighborhood Connection Nights, which allow at-risk families the opportunity to meet each other, build stronger and lasting relationships, hear about ways to engage in the neighborhood and enjoy fellowship over a delicious family style dinner. Our membership also hosted multiple collection drives to meet the tangible needs of CPPC families in the Greater Portland area. As our members begin to build trust with these communities, we will begin developing ways to specifically support early high school-aged youth living in homes with high levels of stress and poverty.
Our second Community Impact goal was to educate and train our membership and the local community on the prevention of sex trafficking and exploitation in the greater Portland area in partnership with the Maine Freedom Project. Volunteer shifts focused heavily on education and raising awareness amongst our membership and in the community on the dangers of sexual exploitation and trafficking. Trainings included speakers, movie nights, book club discussions, the Red Sand Awareness Project, and many opportunities for independent learning to help us all become subject matter experts.