Genesis at Work on the Islands

The initial impetus for establishing the Island Challenge Fund at the Maine Community Foundation came from Genesis’ own experience working on several islands with year-round populations. Funding gaps highlighted the need for additional private support for island projects. The $220,000 grant from Jane's Trust is an important step in this process. Here are some examples of projects that Genesis has worked with in the past and the funding needs that additional support can address.

Vinalhaven: Providing a Home for Island Elders
All too often, island elders have few options when they become unable to manage the challenges of daily living. Lifelong Vinalhaven resident Ivan Calderwood sought to serve the needs of the island’s elderly by bequeathing his home for use as an elderly facility.

To fulfill Calderwood’s vision, a group of dedicated island residents worked with the Genesis Fund to secure the resources and services needed to convert his home into a six-bed adult family care home. Genesis raised seed money for the project and provided countless hours of organizational and grantwriting assistance. A similar effort is currently underway for elderly residents on Islesboro as well.

The Ivan Calderwood Home opened its doors in May 2001 as a valued community resource. Today the home is expanding to provide day services for island elders and utilizes private donations for ongoing operations.

Monhegan: Preserving a Valued Commercial and Housing Resource
When residents heard rumors that the Monhegan Island Store was going to be sold, they knew something had to be done. Given the limited space for new housing development on the island, a prospective buyer spoke of converting the store and its two apartments into seasonal rental units.

Residents mobilized and asked Genesis to assist them in their efforts to acquire the property and incorporate the newly formed Monhegan Island Sustainable Community Association (MISCA) as a tax-exempt organization. Less than a year later, MISCA has converted the existing apartments into affordable condos for year-round residents and has preserved the store as a market for island residents.

MISCA hopes to further its efforts to stabilize the year-round population on Monhegan by converting existing properties into year-round housing that is affordable for local residents. This effort will require significant private support.

Islesboro: A Resource to Help Communities Stay the Course
Many years of hard work went into the creation and development of the Ruthie James subdivision. As a result eight island families were able to move into affordable homes.

When one of the families fell behind on its mortgage, a local bank was left with little choice but to sell the house on the open market. Islesboro Affordable Property, the developer of the subdivision faced the prospect of seeing the home converted to a seasonal residence. To prevent this from occurring, the housing group secured a commitment from the Genesis Fund to provide the necessary capital to purchase the home and preserve it as affordable housing for a year-round family.

Fortunately, Islesboro Affordable Property (IAP) never had to draw down the financing from Genesis. The group worked with the existing homeowner to stabilize his financial situation and meet his mortgage obligations. As IAP looks to expand its work, private funding will be key.

^ Back To Article