Frances Hollis Brain Foundation Fund

2025 Grants

Artvan, project support, to deliver long-term art therapy to early learners, ages 2-4, at three Childcare Centers in Lewiston/Auburn participating in First4ME programs: $5,000
Bath Area BackPack Program, project support, to stock the mobile Bath YMCA Veggie Van to provide weekly groceries for food-insecure children and their caregivers: $5,000
Bath Area Family YMCA, project support, to build a resource hub that empowers and connects families with support systems that inspire and supports caregivers and children in their early educational journey: $10,000
Cathedral Church of St. Luke, general support, to feed the hungry, welcome our neighbors (those seeking food), and build community: $10,000
Catholic Charities Maine, project support, to create sustainable solutions making access to affordable childcare possible for low-income refugee/asylee families in Maine who are not eligible for state subsidies: $10,000
Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, project support, to bring experiential education outreach programs to students in the Portland Public Schools’ Community Partner pre-kindergarten sites: $5,000
Furniture Friends, general support, to continue our program of providing essential household furniture to children and their families living in poverty in southern Maine: $10,000
Intercultural Community Center, general support, to enrich the academic, emotional, and physical well-being of immigrant, refugee, and low-income students through effective social services and support: $5,000
Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, project support, to connect immigrant leaders to co-facilitate learning circles on child development, parenting, and early education strategies: $7,500
Jobs for Maine's Graduates Inc., general support, to guide Maine students facing barriers through school-based programs that build skills, strengthen confidence, and prepare them for education, careers, and adulthood: $10,000
Kids First Center, general support, for agency operations during a time when family conflict is heightened and children need stability and resiliency in their family units especially at this time which in turn enables children to focus on learning while in school: $10,000
LearningWorks, general support, to provide no-cost, high quality educational programming, vocational training, and community-based restorative justice services for children and youth in southern Maine: $10,000
Mainely Smiles, project support, to provide essential oral health care for low-income individuals in Maine, reducing our 4,000-person waitlist and ensuring timely, quality oral health services: $10,000
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, general support,to provide low-income individuals with access to healthy food via 9 direct service programs which include food pantries in schools, neighborhoods and community centers, grocery deliveries to homes and neighborhoods, and a soup kitchen serving hot, prepared meals: $5,000
Milestone Recovery, general support, to Sustain Emergency Shelter and Support for Individuals Facing Homelessness and Substance Use: $10,000
Oasis Free Clinics, general support, to provide free, high-quality medical, dental, vision, and mental health care to a growing number of low-income, uninsured members of our community: $10,000
Palaver Strings Incorporated, general support, for ensuring sustained Student Access, Music Mentoring & Performance Support (SAMP) for the most vulnerable Strings Program students: $5,000
Peaks Island Children's Workshop, project support, for new furniture, specifically room dividers, to support our recent capacity expansion, which allows care for 20 children, up from 12: $5,000
Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Inc, general support, to provide civil legal aid with the purpose of improving the lives of disadvantaged and underserved Maine residents: $10,000
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, project support, to help PPNNE’s Portland health center provide life-changing reproductive and sexual health care on a sliding fee scale to those in need: $10,000
Portland Community Health Center, project support, to provide convenient and affordable dental screenings, cleanings, and fluoride to children directly in their public school to reduce oral health disparities: $10,000
ProsperityME, general support, to alleviate homelessness among new Mainers by assisting families facing housing instability in accessing essential resources such as heating assistance, security deposits, rental assistance, tenant education, and workforce development: $7,500
Mary's Regional Medical Center, general support, to provide stable community food resources for children and their families, along with afterschool and summer school garden and food education programs: $5,000
Tedford Housing, project support, to create an outdoor classroom and play area at Tedford’s new emergency shelter, fostering early childhood development and educational play for families experiencing homelessness: $5,000
Waynflete School, project support, for the Can We? Project to train students in two partner schools with the skills to participate in productive dialogue across differences: $9,800
York County Community Action Corporation, project support, to expand our Head Start Teacher-in-Training program to meet the needs of our families by addressing the workforce shortage in the Early Childhood Education field: $7,500

2024 Grants

Androscoggin Home Health Services, project support, to purchase supportive devise for low-income, chronically ill and children with disabilities for their safety, growth and development: $3,500
Birth Roots Center for Community Supported Parenting, project support, to support the healthy development of new and expectant families: $5,000
Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine, general support, for critical youth-development programs for children 8-years-old and younger: $5,000
Coastal Enterprises, project support, for the StartSmart program that helps immigrants and refugees start or grow businesses to lead to economic self-sufficiency: $7,500
Community Clinical Services, project support, Language Interpreter Program, using certified interpreters to improve understanding between patients and care teams for medical, behavioral and dental care in the Lewiston-Auburn area: $5,000
Community Dental, general support, to provide quality, accessible oral health care needed by low-income adults and children: $5,000
Deering High School, project support, to provide free feminine hygiene products to any student who needs them: $2,760
Good Shepherd Food Bank, general support, to reduce hunger by expanding food access for people experiencing food insecurity: $5,000
Greater Portland Family Promise, project support, to provide housing, critical needs support, housing navigation and stabilization case management: $5,000
Hope Acts, general support, to help asylum seekers with basic needs, access to benefits, housing, English and technology training and other ongoing support: $7,500
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, general support, to advance justice and equity for immigrants through legal services, community education and advocacy: $7,500
Junior Achievement of Maine, project support, to provide financial literacy and career readiness training to first and second-grade youth from moderate to low-income households in Lewiston and Greater Portland: $2,500
Locker Project, project support, to provide regular food assistance to Greater Portland families with children preschool-aged and younger: $7,500
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children, project support, to promote early-childhood workforce growth within diverse communities: $10,000
Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, project support, to purchase fish from Maine fishermen and donate prepared fish meals to food pantries, schools and community service centers: $7,500
Maine Episcopal Missionary Society, project support, to offer dental products to adults and children: $7,500
Maine Equal Justice Partners, general support, to provide legal aid to people with low incomes: $5,000
MaineHealth, general support, to provide appropriate clothing necessary to discharge hospital patients in all seasons: $5,000
Mayo Street Arts, project support, to expand the free after-school arts program: $5,000
Mercy Hospital, general support, to continue providing a comprehensive, multi-generational program for women and mothers in recovery from substance use disorder: $7,000
Midcoast Literacy, project support, for monthly early literacy sessions and free books to preschoolers and toddlers in Head Start and Early Head Start programs: $5,000
New Beginnings, general support, to provide shelter, housing, food, basic needs, case management, health care access and educational support for Lewiston-Auburn youth experiencing homelessness and food insecurity: $5,000
Pine Tree Society, project support, to add a third classroom to Pine Tree Society’s Early Learning Center: $5,000
Portland Community Squash, project support, to provide financial aid for early childhood education and child care for after-school summer programs: $5,000
Portland Stage Company, project support, to expand pre-K to grade 12 programs: $5,000
Preble Street, project support, to expand Food Security Hub Services to serve more people and provide nutritious, culturally appropriate meals: $5,000
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Immaculate Conception Conference, project support, to provide local, fresh foods: $3,500
Susan L. Curtis Charitable Foundation, general support, to provide enriching outdoor, summer programming for Maine children facing economic hardship: $7,500
The Center for Grieving Children, project support, for the after-school Intercultural Peer Support Program: $5,000
The Telling Room, general support, to provide after-school literary arts education and youth development programs for Greater Portland youth: $5,000
Tree Street Youth, general support, to foster the social-emotional, academic and leadership development of marginalized Lewiston youth ages 4 to 24 and their families, including recent immigrants and refugees: $7,500
Trinity Jubilee Center, general support, to meet immediate needs of food, diapers, shelter and supplies to help patrons achieve housing, employment and long-term stability: $5,000
United Way of Southern Maine, project support, to build critical literacy skills and a love of reading in early elementary school students through the Volunteer Readers program: $7,500
University of Maine at Augusta, project support, to upgrade dental equipment with current technology for patients and to provide high-quality training and education to students: $5,000

2023 Grants

A Company of Girls, to empower youth in challenging circumstances to find their voices through arts programs that provide opportunities for mentorship, confidence building, resiliency and leadership development: $5,000
Avesta Housing Development Corporation, for a summer reading program for children from low-income, immigrant families living in Westbrook Avesta properties: $5,450
Catholic Charities Maine, to provide parents with access to early care and education services: $10,000
Count ME In, to improve transitions for learners from early care settings into public pre-kindergarten and kindergarten: $5,000
Family and Community Mediation, to provide mediation and conflict resolution services to families with low incomes and young children: $5,000
Foundation for Portland Public Schools, to help Portland Public Schools' families with emergency needs such as housing, utilities, medical costs or other critical supplies: $7,500
Furniture Friends, to collect donated furniture for low-income individuals and families living in southern Maine: $5,000
Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, to send three middle-school students on a summer Outward Bound course: $3,000
Intercultural Community Center, to enrich academic, emotional and physical wellbeing of immigrant, refugee and low-income students through effective social services and support: $7,500
Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, to purchase diapers for families throughout southern Maine: $10,000
Kids First Center, to provide programs for safe and healthy coparenting: $5,000
LearningWorks, to offer no-cost STEAM, literacy and vocational educational programming for elementary, middle and high school students: $5,000
Maine Boys to Men, to provide Boot Camp for New Dads, a program for expectant fathers: $7,500
Midcoast Maine Community Action, to support the needs of Midcoast Maine families with low incomes: $5,000
Northeast Hearing & Speech Center, to provide children who cannot speak with an alternative way to communicate, start a loaner library, and support their caregivers: $7,500
Oasis Health Network, to provide free, high-quality medical and dental care and prescription assistance to low-income, uninsured adults living in our community: $5,000
Palaver Strings, to increase the racial diversity of the music education faculty to better reflect the diversity of young students and families: $7,500
Peaks Island Children’s Workshop, to provide early childhood education to Peaks Island children: $7,500
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, to provide reproductive and sexual health care on a sliding fee scale: $7,500
Portland Community Health Center, for dental supplies and staffing to provide dental health care access to Portland preschools: $6,013
Portland Ovations, for its early literacy program, Cultivating Curiosity: $7,500
ProsperityME, to support immigrant families experiencing housing instability: $7,500
Side x Side, to provide early elementary school teachers and students with collaborative arts projects: $5,000
St. Luke’s Cathedral, for its food pantry: $7,500
St. Mary’s Regional Health Center, to expand the school garden and food programs in four elementary schools: $10,000
The Ecology School, to provide hands-on environmental education for Saco students in grades K-2 that promotes environmental stewardship, social emotional learning and STEM skills: $10,000
Woodfords Family Services, to ensure students with special needs have reliable transportation for special purpose school services: $5,000
YMCA- Auburn-Lewiston, to address the educational and achievement gap for children in grades K-3 living in communities with social, economic and cultural barriers: $8,750
YMCA- Central Maine, to provide children in Lewiston-Auburn access to affordable child care, nutritious meals, and basic water-safety skills: $10,000