Health and Hope Campaign

Celebrating 25 Years. Building the Next 25.

For 25 years, Healthy Acadia has worked alongside our communities to make it easier for everyone to live healthy lives. Now, we’re looking ahead.

The Health and Hope Campaign is a $1.5 million fundraising effort to strengthen local public health, today and for generations to come. Together, we can continue showing up where it matters most: for our neighbors, our families, and our future.

Our work is really about neighbors helping neighbors - making sure people have what they need to stay well and get through tough times.
— Tracey Carlson, Communications Director

Every day, people across our region face challenges that affect their health and wellbeing: access to nutritious food, safe and secure housing, timely resources to support recovery, reliable transportation, and more.

At Healthy Acadia, we believe health starts in community.

Community is at the core of our work. Our programs are shaped by the needs and strengths of the people we serve and made possible through generosity and partnership.
— Shoshona Smith, Development Director

Health and Hope is about:

  • Meeting urgent needs right now

  • Strengthening programs people rely on

  • Building long-term stability so we can respond to whatever comes next

When you give, you’re helping make sure no one has to face these challenges alone.

Our Goal: $1.5 Million by December 31

$1 Million for Programs

Support the work happening every day across our communities, including:

  • Substance use recovery and behavioral health supports

  • Healthy food access for all

  • Overnight warming center

  • Safe Harbor Recovery Home for Women and Children

  • Mindfulness, self-compassion, and resilience education

  • Youth empowerment and workforce development

  • Community health navigation and barrier-removal funds

These programs help people stay well, recover, and move forward.

$500,000 for Our Endowment

We’re also building for the future.

With $100,000 already committed, our new endowment will provide steady, flexible funding to support our mission for years to come.

Gifts to the endowment help ensure that Healthy Acadia can:

  • Respond to emerging needs

  • Sustain critical programs

  • Continue serving our communities for the next 25 years and beyond

Ways to Give

Every gift makes a difference.

You can:

  • Give to support programs happening right now

  • Contribute to the endowment for long-term impact

  • Make a planned gift, such as a bequest

  • Partner as a business or community organization

Art for Health and Hope

Community Art Project

As part of this milestone year, we’re inviting the community to be part of something creative and meaningful. Art for Health and Hope is a community art project that will become a large-scale installation celebrating connection, resilience, and healing.

We launched Art for Health and Hope during National Public Health Week (April 6-12, 2026) with free, open-to-all community art-making gatherings on April 8 in Ellsworth and April 10 in Machias. Thank you to all who joined in these events!

If you missed these events and want to contribute your artwork, we’ll provide the 5x7” canvas and instructions. No art experience needed! The submission deadline is July 31, 2026.

Auction for Health and Hope

Create, Connect, and Give Back Through Art

Are you an established artist?

As part of Healthy Acadia’s 25th year, we’d love to have you involved. Consider donating a piece of your work to our Auction for Health and Hope, coming in Autumn 2026. You can also join in by volunteering to co-facilitate a casual art-making gathering, helping to bring folks together to contribute to our community-built Art for Health and Hope installation. It’s a great way to share your creativity, connect with others, and be part of something positive in our community.



Looking ahead, Healthy Acadia is focused on continuing to serve where the needs are greatest. We’re so grateful for what we’ve built together with our communities, and we’re excited about what’s next.
— Elsie Flemings, Executive Director

Be Part of What Comes Next

This campaign is more than a fundraiser. It’s a shared commitment to care for one another and to keep building a healthier, more connected region.

Together, we’re building health and hope for today, and for the next 25 years.