Rangeley Health and Wellness recently received a $25,000 grant from the John T. Gorman Foundation. This grant is one of 11 awarded to organizations throughout the state of Maine to support local teens during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Thanks to this grant, Rangeley Health and Wellness in partnership with other local organizations, will provide various outreach activities and services to the region’s youth. The year long restrictions and stressors caused by the pandemic has had an alarming impact on the mental and emotional wellbeing of teens. Recent studies indicate that the widespread impact has led to a dramatic increase in suicide rates, domestic violence, substance abuse and onset of anxiety and depression in teenagers. The grant funds will be used for programming, interventions and education to promote the wellbeing of teens. Initiatives will include mentorship, team building and skill development opportunities, education and mental health programming, as well as basic needs supports.
“We are thrilled and so grateful to the John T. Gorman Foundation for this opportunity. The grant comes at a pivotal time for the youth of the region. Our organization is committed to responding to the needs of the community. With this important grant we will be able to help teens manage the effects of this Pandemic by building resilience, learning new skill sets and by experiencing new activities. This allows our outreach, coordination of supports, and programming to the region’s teens to be more expansive and robust in order to make a positive impact on their lives.” says Leslie White, Executive Director of Rangeley Health and Wellness.
The first planned event will be taking place at Saddleback Mountain. On March 31st middle school and high school students from Rangeley Lakes Regional School will be having a fun day of skiing and other activities at Saddleback, sponsored by RHW and Saddleback. This day will be free to all school staff and students that attend and will include components that support mental, emotional and physical health.
“We at Saddleback Mountain believe life is better outside and playing on snow is an experience we strive to share with all, most importantly our local youth.” Says Anne Rockwell, Director of Outdoor Programs for Saddleback. “Creating opportunities for Rangeley students to get on snow has and will always be a mission of ours and it is with strong partnerships within our community that we can make it happen. The Saddleback team is thrilled to be working with Rangeley Health and Wellness to provide ski days throughout the season and outdoor excursions in the summer months to come. Saddleback is their mountain and we will continue to seek ways to invite teens to enjoy and make memories in the Maine outdoors.”
About Rangeley Health and Wellness
The mission of Rangeley Health and Wellness is to facilitate and advocate for health and wellness in the Rangeley Lakes region. Since 1993 we have provided a multitude of wellness programs for all ages and worked with our community partners to bring vital health services to our region. At Rangeley Health and Wellness, our programs are supported by our generous donations and grant funding. To learn more about Rangeley Health and Wellness and all of our programs, visit us on our website; https://rrhwp.org/ or call us at 207-864-3055.
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