Maine Initiatives, a foundation that supports grassroots economic, environmental and social justice in Maine, is pleased to announce grants to four Maine organizations as part of its 2014 Grants for Change program.

Two multi-year grants were awarded; Environment Maine will receive $75,000 in three annual payments and Preble Street Homeless Voices for Justice will be awarded $15,000 over three years. Maine Women’s Policy Center and the Somali Bantu Mutual Assistance Association of Lewiston/Auburn each received a one-year grant of $20,000.

The Environment Maine Research and Policy Center is a statewide environmental organizing and advocacy organization that works to protect Maine’s air and water, build a clean energy future and preserve the state’s wild beauty. During the past two years, they helped organize a citizens’ group — Protect South Portland — and developed and worked with the group to implement the campaign to stop big oil from using the Portland-Montreal pipeline as the East Coast shipping route for tar sands oil to the world market.

Other top campaigns include bringing the local foods movement to scale to better enable Maine to sustainably feed the state and region, protecting Maine’s lakes and working for a toxic-free future.

Preble Street Homeless Voices for Justice is a grassroots group that works for social change on behalf of people who struggle with homelessness and poverty. The founding chapter in Portland has existed since 1995, with other chapters at homeless shelters, warming centers and soup kitchens in Portland, Brunswick, Lewiston and Augusta.

The group represent homeless people in Maine, with the goal of building a coalition for and of homeless people throughout the state and to empower people whose first-hand perspective has often been absent in the development of policies and programs that impact their social and economic well-being. HVJ is the only voice of people experiencing homelessness and chronic poverty in Maine at a time when rhetoric, policies and public dialogue targeting this population is at an all-time high.

Maine Women’s Policy Center was founded in 1990, and is dedicated to creating equality for Maine’s women and girls through public policy and leadership development. It focuses on four main areas: economic security, freedom from violence, freedom from discrimination and access to health care, including reproductive care. In 2014, the Center is working to educate the public, media, elected officials and candidates about the importance of economic security to women, and about the policies that contribute to a strong middle class.

The Somali Bantu Mutual Assistance Association of Lewiston/Auburn assists members of the refugee community with housing, employment, literacy, education, health, legal and safety matters. Transitional services that address the needs of the immigrant population are provided free of charge to men, women and children, providing them with information about how to connect to a new life in the U.S., while preserving pride in the cultural traditions of Somalia.

In addition, the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition received a $20,000 second payment of a three-year grant. This network of statewide advocacy and grassroots immigrant groups is a united voice for a fair deal for new Mainers.

The Visible Community received $15,000, the third payment of a three-year grant. This group of neighbors continues to work to revitalize downtown Lewiston.

Maine Initiatives’ Grants for Change help build power in communities, remove barriers to democracy, encourage people to work together for the common good and foster involvement by people often excluded in the community.