LEWISTON – Girl Scouts of Maine recently received a $5,000 Community Building grant from the Maine Community Foundation for A Place for Girls, a program that serves girls in Portland Housing Authority’s Sagamore Village and Riverton Park; the Presumpscot and East End communities in Portland; and Lewiston Housing Authority’s Hillview neighborhood.

A Place for Girls improves girls’ ability to avoid dangerous behaviors by focusing on social consciousness, leadership, and self-confidence. It is a comprehensive prevention program promoting resiliency in youth by giving girls a safe and healthy physical environment, trust and respect from caring adults, and a feeling of belonging and worth. Through the program, girls focus on strengthening self-confidence and leadership, working as a team, building community, and respecting diversity.

“A Place for Girls currently serves about 100 Somali, Sudanese, Laotian, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Russian, and Czech girls, between the ages of 5 to 17,” said France Shea, GSME communications manager. “Many multi-cultural girls who live in public housing are often not able to participate in traditional Girl Scout Troops because of their family or religious traditions. We provide trained staff at each housing community to meet with girls several times a week and guide them through Girl Scout activities like badge work, field trips, camping trips and long-distance trips, community service and educational activities.”

For 25 years the Maine Community Foundation has been partnering with donors and community groups to strengthen Maine through grants and scholarships. For more information, visit www.mainecf.org or call toll-free 1-877-7000-6800.