Together, We Make Health Happen
Our First 25 Years
2001: Our Humble Beginnings
Healthy Acadia’s journey began in 2001 as a small tobacco prevention program serving Mount Desert Island and surrounding communities. Supported by the Healthy Maine Partnerships, a statewide initiative born from the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, our early mission was clear: reduce tobacco use and its harmful effects. Our first office, housed in a former staff smoking lounge at MDI Hospital, was a humble starting point for a coalition committed to improving community health.
2001-2004: Expanding Our Reach
As our team grew, so did our vision. We expanded beyond tobacco prevention to address lead poisoning, obesity, access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity. Our work as a Healthy Maine Partnership grew into a broader effort to create healthier places, strengthen communities and improve quality of life.
2005-2008: Bringing Fresh Food to Schools
Our Downeast Farm to School Program took root, connecting local farms with schools to bring fresh food, gardening and hands-on learning to students. The program laid the groundwork for lasting partnerships among farmers, growers, educators and communities. In 2008, our work expanded into Washington County through a partnership with Washington County: One Community.
2009: Standing on Our Own
Healthy Acadia became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2009, giving us new opportunities to grow our community health work. We broadened our focus to include healthy aging, physical activity, and substance misuse prevention. By 2011, our service area had expanded to all of Hancock County, strengthening our role as a regional community health organization.
2012: Community Transformation
A $1.3 million Community Transformation Grant helped Healthy Acadia and our partners create healthier communities across Hancock and Washington counties. We expanded efforts to improve access to healthy food, physical activity, social wellness and dental health, while introducing Maine SNAP-Ed to schools and communities.
2013: Growing Stronger
We opened our first office in Ellsworth and grew to a team of 13. Our work expanded to include Drug-Free Communities programming, oral health education and the Downeast Gleaning Initiative, a community effort to reduce food insecurity by rescuing and redistributing fresh food. We also began offering mini-grants to community partners for projects that created healthier, more accessible places to live, work and play.
2014: Supporting Seniors and Recovery
Together with community partners, we launched the neighbor4neighbor Fund to help older adults meet basic needs, and convened the Downeast Substance Treatment Network to strengthen access to substance use treatment. We also began offering free Tai Chi for Health classes, bringing gentle movement and mindfulness practices to people of all ages and abilities.
2015: Expanding Programs and Partnerships
Through a partnership with the Health Resources and Services Administration, we introduced free evidence-based wellness programs, including the National Diabetes Prevention Program, Chronic Disease Self-Management and Chronic Pain Self-Management. That same year, Washington County: One Community’s programs and staff joined Healthy Acadia, expanding our service area to all of Washington County. We also took a leading role in developing and hosting Down East Teen Leadership Camp, an established youth leadership program that equips young people with skills, confidence and experience to become community leaders.
2016: Connecting People to Recovery
In collaboration with the Ellsworth Police Department, we launched Downeast Project HOPE, connecting people seeking recovery from substance use with treatment and support. Our prevention and recovery work continued to grow, and we took over operations of Blue Hill FarmDrop, expanding access to local food through an innovative online farmers’ market.
2017: New Initiatives, New Possibilities
Healthy Acadia launched several programs designed to help people navigate barriers and access the support they needed, including the Downeast Cancer Patient Navigation Program, Early Childhood Consultation and Outreach and the You’ve Got a Friend Fund. We also launched our Recovery Coach Program and became the sole provider of Maine Prevention Services for Hancock and Washington counties
2018: Expanding Recovery Services
We launched Maine RecoveryCorps, bringing peer recovery coaching to communities across nine counties. With community partners, we helped launch the Downeast Treatment Center in Ellsworth and expanded our FarmDrop operations. Our Mindfulness in Education initiative brought resilience-building practices to schools and child care centers across the region.
2019: Supporting Youth and Growing Our Presence
Our Maine Alliance for Recovery Coaching expanded to five counties, and we opened a new location in Calais and Ellsworth dedicated to connecting community members to our health resources and wellness programs. We also broadened our youth programming, focusing on substance prevention, suicide prevention, and LGBTQ+ empowerment, and building resilience for youth ages 9-20.
2020: Meeting the Challenge of COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic transformed daily life across our region, Healthy Acadia adapted quickly. We purchased our first Harvest Van to expand the Downeast Gleaning Initiative, opened the Safe Harbor Recovery Home for Women and Children to help keep families together during recovery, and launched community-wide COVID-19 response efforts to connect people at greater risk with resources and support. We also established an internal Health Equity Team to address disparities and strengthen equitable access to health and wellness services.
2021: Twenty Years of Community Health
As Healthy Acadia marked 20 years, we celebrated the people and partnerships that made our work possible. Through the Maine Youth Action Network’s Gateway to Opportunity Program, we welcomed our first cohort of youth leaders to help shape the future of Down East Teen Leadership Camp while gaining real-world workforce experience.
We also created our first documentary film, Together: Community Health Champions, highlighting six local people working to build healthier, more resilient communities. The film became a celebration of the many partners, volunteers and community members who have helped Healthy Acadia grow.
2021: Building Connection and Belonging
Healthy Acadia joined community partners in organizing the first known Juneteenth commemoration in Downeast Maine, creating a space to celebrate Black culture, commemorate emancipation and build connection. We also opened INSPIRE Recovery Community Center in Ellsworth, creating a welcoming place for people seeking recovery support, connection and community.
2022: Building Recovery, Housing and Youth Supports
Healthy Acadia continued to expand its community-based approach to recovery, housing and youth development. We launched the Maine Recovery Core, growing out of our earlier AmeriCorps recovery coaching work, and opened our seasonal overnight Warming Center at INSPIRE. The Downeast Housing Collaborative launched to bring partners together around regional housing needs, while Extended Learning Opportunities connected young people with hands-on career exploration. We also expanded transportation support for residents of Safe Harbor Recovery Home and helped build partnerships around Indigenous Peoples’ Day programming.
2023: Expanding Across Eastern Maine
Healthy Acadia began serving as Maine’s Eastern Area Health Education Center, expanding our health workforce development work across Washington, Hancock, Waldo and Knox counties. We received long-term housing funding that would eventually support affordable housing in Ellsworth and Machias, launched Tribal PROSPER and Rites of Passage programming, and expanded Juneteenth Downeast with the first Weekend on the Water, creating opportunities for Black people and people of color to connect through outdoor recreation and community.
Our prevention and recovery work continued to grow, including expanded recovery coaching in health care settings and continued leadership through the Maine Prevention Network. Nina Zeldin also became a Tai Chi for Health Master Trainer, strengthening our ability to train instructors across the region.
2024: Growing Programs, Places and Partnerships
Healthy Acadia entered its first full growing season at Downeast Restorative Harvest, expanding our food security work while creating new opportunities for community connection and learning. We hosted the first annual Cultural Fusion Fest, welcoming seasonal workers and year-round residents to celebrate cultural diversity and build connection.
We launched Youth Recovery Coaching, purchased our Beechland Road property in Ellsworth, expanded transportation support through an INSPIRE van, and launched the Tolihtehson (Healthy Hearts) Project in Motahkomikuk to support cardiovascular health and wellness.
2025: Growing Food, Recovery and Community Supports
Healthy Acadia expanded our work across food security, recovery, mental health, housing and workforce development. In January, we joined forces with Folklore Farm and purchased a second Harvest Van to increase our capacity to grow, rescue and distribute fresh food.
At INSPIRE, we launched mental health peer support, a computer lab and a Housing Support Program. We partnered with MCD Global Health to provide Community Health Worker training for Healthy Acadia staff, while construction of a new barn at Downeast Restorative Harvest strengthened the farm’s capacity to serve the community. We also launched the MDI Give-and-Take Produce Shed, expanded Safe Harbor transportation with a new hybrid van, and began welcoming residents into affordable housing developed in Ellsworth and Machias.
2026: Celebrating 25 Years and Looking Ahead
As Healthy Acadia celebrates 25 years, our work continues to grow in response to the needs and strengths of the communities we serve. We signed a new lease for office space in Calais, strengthening a presence we have maintained there since 2019, and Healthy Acadia assumed stewardship of Ellsworth Pride.
We re-launched Nutrition Education programming, continued expanding recovery coaching in health care settings, and supported the “Unhoused” Photovoice Project to bring the experiences and perspectives of people experiencing homelessness into public conversation through photography and storytelling.
From a small tobacco prevention program in 2001 to a regional community health organization serving thousands of people across Eastern Maine, our story has always been about what becomes possible when people work together.
Together, we make health happen.
Today: Looking to the Future
With a dedicated team of approximately 80 seasonal, full-time, and part-time staff members and interns, the steadfast guidance and support of our amazing Board of Directors, and the inspiring energy and enthusiasm of scores of community volunteers, Healthy Acadia now spearheads more than 40 programs and initiatives focused on promoting and enhancing health and wellness across Downeast Maine and beyond.