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POWER's Mission
Portland Organizing to Win Economic Rights is a grassroots anti-poverty action group led by poor & low-income people. United with all those who align with this mission, together we're building a local movement to win economic rights for all, end economic oppression, & abolish poverty. When we unite to claim our rights, together we have POWER!

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*Updates*Updates*Updates* 
This is where we post recent updates & news related to POWER & issues related to our mission & our community. Note: If you'd like to sign up for POWER's email updates, click here.

POWER is taking an organizing break!
POWER is taking an organizing break to allow our hard-working, dedicated volunteers some very much-needed time off. There will be no regularly scheduled monthly POWER meetings until further notice. Thanks to everyone for all of your hard work & support! Questions? Contact POWER.
 
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Help send a Maine delegation
to the US Social Forum!
The US Social Forum is from June 22-26, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan.
Donations and help with transportation are needed to help send a 
delegation of low-income Mainers to this amazing event. If you can
help in any way and/or if you would like to join this delegation,
please click on the link below for more information. Thank you! 
...more details...

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Special Announcement:
New 2009 Changing Maine Directory!
This announcement comes to us from our friends at Resources for Organizing & Social Change.

NOW AVAILABLE: The sixth (2009) edition of the Changing Maine Directory is available on the web at www.changingmaine.org and in print form as a 180-page directory. It is an incredible resource, listing nearly 1,500 grassroots social action and social service organizations throughout the state in 34 different categories. The print directory is available for $12 (postpaid) from Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), 161 Stovepipe Alley, Monroe, ME 04951. You can order one or more copies by sending a check (sorry, no credit cards) made out to ROSC to the above address. For questions, call Larry Dansinger at (207)525-7776. The information is also compiled on the internet at the www.changingmaine.org web address.

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Special Announcement:
Stay connected with the local movement to end poverty!
This announcement comes to us from our friends at the Maine Poor People's Economic Human Rights Coaltion, of which POWER is a member organization.

Now there some exciting new ways to learn more & share ideas about ending
poverty in Maine (and beyond) by connecting with the newly formed Maine
Poor People's Economic Human Rights Coalition online:
For more information and/or to learn how to join the Maine PPEHRC, please
visit www.peacebreadjustice.org, or contact Larry Dansinger: 207-525-7776.
The website link above is for Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods,
where you will find a page devoted to the Maine PPEHRC, that contains a newly
updated mission statement for the Maine PPEHRC & a newly updated Bill of
Economic Human Rights.  
 
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Special Announcement:
Tell your story! Local author collecting stories about unjust treatment by DHHS & other social service agencies.
This announcement comes from Habibi Jenness (contact info posted below):

• Are you a mother who has been victimized by the state of Maine?
• Have you ever been or are you currently feeling angry or disrespected by the way the Department of Human Services child protection unit has treated you and your family?
• Do you think that the state is taking children away from mothers immorally?
• Have judges, the family court and social work systems over-stepped their rightful boundaries?
  

If you are a mother with a story to tell please contact me. I am writing a book about mothers like you.  YOUR story is important and I want to hear from you even if you never tell me your real name.
For more information please contact Habibi Jenness at or call 207-252-3761.

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POWER in the News!
> Council Seeks to Determine Effects of Poverty - MPR's Maine Things Considered --02/28/2009
> Home Heating & the Economy - MPBN's Maine Watch --11/21/08
> No Country for Cold Men - Joe Public Films --11/08/08
> Poverty symposium targets 'chronic' symptom: hunger - Kennebec Journal --10/28/08
> Economic Symposium - WABI TV5 News Desk --10/28/08
> POWER member speaks at Maine Poverty Symposium - Joe Public Films -- 10/27/08
> Healthcare Truth Commission Coverage -- WMPG's Sound Ecology [ listen ] -- 06/11/08
> Healthcare Truth Commission! -- MAIN Update, p.9 -- 06/2008
> New Maine Housing Commissioner: Nikki McLean! -- MAIN Update, p.9 -- 06/2008

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Healthcare Truth Commission a HUGE success!!
June 10, 2008 at Community Public Access, 516 Congress St, Portland, ME
...more details... | more about healthcare justice | healthcare survey
> Healthcare Truth Commission Coverage -- WMPG's Sound Ecology [ listen ] -- 06/11/08
"Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking & inhumane."
          --Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The stories we shared and witnessed at this Healthcare Truth Commission were nothing short of incredible....Thanks to those brave individuals who dared enough to stand up and speak their truth, those of us who dared enough to listen learned exactly why this injustice must end.....By the end of the evening there was not a heart among us left untouched, nor a soul left unstirred. READ MORE...
 
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Check out some of our latest video projects: 
  POWER's Healthcare Crisis Video
   
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   Produced by POWER's Video Committee; features  the song Healthcare Justice!, written &
   performed by Colette Washington (www.GuaranteedHealthcare.org)
 
  Other recently created POWER video pieces: 
     --Public Forum on Healthcare Justice!      
     --Demonstration for Healthcare Justice!     
     --National Housing Action Workshop at the US Social Forum!
     --World Health Day Demonstration!      
     --Economic Human Rights Truth Commission!
 

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What is POWER?
Based in Southern Maine, POWER is a grassroots anti-poverty community organization that is led by poor and low-income people. Together with all those who support our mission, we are building a local movement to win economic rights for all, end economic oppression, and abolish poverty. While POWER has a leadership base of poor and low-income people, our membership is open to people from all walks of life who care about ending poverty & includes people from all walks of life, income levels, economic classes, geographical locations, etc.  ...more about POWER...

Sign up for Email Updates
Stay informed by signing up to receive POWER's email updates! Simply enter your name and email in the spaces below, and then hit the subscribe button. 
 

First Name:      
Last Name:       
Email Address:   

                 

Note: to receive POWER updates by mail, write to us at Po Box 4281 Portland, Maine 04101
with a note stating that you would like to join POWER's mailing list.

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Monthly POWER Meetings
 
More about Monthly Meetings | Meeting Framework | Agenda | Questions? Contact us! 

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Become a POWER Member
POWER is open to people from ALL WALKS OF LIFE who care about ending poverty and want to do something about it! Anyone who supports POWER's mission & Principles of Membership are welcome and encouraged to join. To join POWER or renew your membership, simply fill out an annual membership card & send it in together with this year's suggested member dues. 
More about joining POWER or renewing your membership | Questions? Contact us! 

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Speak out & tell your story   ( TOP )

The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
Portland Organizing to Win Economic Rights (POWER) is a proud organizational member of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC). This is a national campaign made up of 100 organizations (and counting!) from states all across the country. Together we are working to build a new movement to abolish poverty. As its mission states, this campaign is committed to "uniting the poor across color lines as the leadership base for a broad movement to abolish poverty. We work to accomplish this through advancing economic human rights as named in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights- such as the rights to food, housing, health, education, communication, & living wage jobs."

The University of the Poor
The University of the Poor is concerned with the unity and development of the leaders of a growing movement to end poverty, led by the poor as a united and organized force. Since its inception, the University of the Poor has shared education tools with grassroots anti-poverty groups across the nation, has helped link media professionals, performing artists, social workers, members of the religious community and labor organizers with the movement to end poverty, and has facilitated the exchange of knowledge between poor people and their allies across the globe. 

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Contact your elected officials
Below we've listed the contact information for Maine's elected representatives.
For more information, please visit our voting information page.

State Representatives: State Senators:
U.S. Senators

• Senator Olympia Snowe:
  Call: 1-800-432-1599 (toll free) | email Sen. Snowe
  Write:154 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
   
  
• Senator Susan Collins:
  Call: 202-224-2523 | email Sen. Collins
  Write: 413 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510 

U.S. Representatives

• Representative Chellie Pingree ( District 1 )
  Call: 207-774-5019; or 1-888-862-6500 (toll free) | email Rep. Pingree
  Write: 1037 Longworth House Building, Washington, DC 20515
   
• Representative Mike Michaud ( District 2 )
  Call: 1-877-210-5351 (toll free); or 202-225-6306 | email Rep. Michaud
  Write: 1724 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515

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If you need help

2-1-1 Maine
There is a great new resource called "2-1-1 Maine" to help people find various health
& human services. This service is available via the phone & also over the internet,
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access 2-1-1 Maine:

• By phone: just dial 2-1-1 from any phone. 
• By internet: www.211maine.org
  • Search 2-1-1 Maine's Online Help Directory:
    211maineportal.communityos.org

We also have various resources listed on our Resources & Links page. But if you
don't see what you need here, dial 2-1-1 from any phone (available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week). And remember: if you're having an emergency, dial 9-1-1!

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