New Resource Highlights Black Owned Businesses in Maine

Tensions are certainly high these days and many people are left feeling helpless or are seeking ways to help the black community in a practical way.

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#blacklivesmatter ✊🏾
A post shared by Councilor Spencer Thibodeau (@councilorthibs) on May 31, 2020 at 6:50am PDT

Enter a new resource, Black Owned Maine. The website breaks down numerous businesses and non-profits that are black-owned.

The site highlights everything from musicians to those in the cannabis industry, cleaning services, lawyers, and more.

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EMERGENCY FOOD FUNDRAISER HIGHLIGHT - Emergency Food, definition: food provided for free that is an essential, emergency need for an individual and/or individuals. This food is primarily accessed at local food pantries and is supplied for free by a number of different programs. As part of our fundraiser, each week we’re going to highlight a portion of our programming that your donation to our Emergency Food Fund supports. This week, we’re starting with our Pantry Purchasing program. The Pantry Purchasing program buys food at full price from refugee and immigrant farmers in our training program and donates that high-quality, local, pesticide-free produce to food pantries at no cost. This multi-faceted solution, creating income and employment opportunities for New Mainers and creating a better food supply for pantries and charitable organizations, is exactly what we’re trying to emphasize in these complicated times with complicated problems. Stay tuned for an introduction to some of our programs and partnerships. There’s a lot of really meaningful organization going on in our community - thank you for being involved! Support the Emergency Food Fund (link in bio!)
A post shared by Cultivating Community (@cultivatingcommunitymaine) on Mar 26, 2020 at 3:56pm PDT

With being less than a week old, Black Owned Maine already has a strong social media presence with over 5,000 follows on Instagram.

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Calling all Maine Black Owned Businesses! We support you and we love you. Send us a DM to be added to the directory. See bio for link. #blackownedmaine #blackownedbusinesses #blackownedmaine #icantbreathe #portlandmaine #lewistonmaine #westandtogether #supportlocal #buylocal
A post shared by Black Owned Maine (@blackownedmaine) on Jun 2, 2020 at 2:29pm PDT

While the website gets its mission across, they have big plans. They hope to form an LLC, improve the website, help businesses impacted by COVID-19, assist struggling families, and more. They currently have a GoFundMe set up to help in these efforts and at the time of posting, are just over halfway to their goal.

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Happy Anniversary VIVA & The Reinforcements! It’s been 6 years somehow: 6 years of improvising, writing, dancing, laughing, rehearsals, Tall Ships, the Circus, social justice rallies and fundraisers, the Governor’s Inaugural Ball, the @equalitymaine EQME Gala, parties at @portlandhouseofmusic, opening for our favorite bands @pinkmartini @bigbadvoodoodaddyofficial @snzippers, hosting @getradplaid Family Feud and @mondayoftheminds and playing the most tender jazz with @dirigaquartet There’s been so much more in the time since The Reinforcements came together, almost too much to count. If I’m being honest, my life started 6 years ago. Go visit our Facebook page @seevivasing for a list of the dozens of people who made my life the joyful adventure it is.
A post shared by Viva (@seevivasing) on May 29, 2020 at 9:23am PDT