Unitarian Universalist Church to host ‘Our Own Backyard’ program
SANGERVILLE — On Sunday, Feb. 23 Sue Mackey Andrews will be speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sangerville & Dover-Foxcroft. Her talk, entitled “Our Own Backyard: Poverty and Hunger in the Maine Highlands” will focus on the work of Helping Hands with Heart and other partners in addressing the needs of persons in poverty as well as the “working poor” — families who work sometimes 2-3 jobs and still can’t make it, yet are ineligible for federal or state assistance programs.
As the third poorest county in Maine, our region has the lowest population of all of Maine’s counties and the second largest geographic area in our state. Poverty across our rural population is deep, multigenerational, reflected across the lifespan and affects us all. How does this translate into human needs, suffering and very real circumstances that center around food insecurity, inadequate housing, a lack of healthcare, heat, or adequate education for our region? What does it mean for the future of our rural area and for those of us who are aging in place here? How do we translate this in action that is meaningful to us, as fellow humans, and to our friends and neighbors?
The first step is to know, factually, what is going on here in our own backyard and then to figure out how we can help. Sunday, is one step in a long journey of the social justice action needed to make a real, sustainable difference in the lives of humans in our region, and to stem the erosion of true equity and growth of apathy and self-isolation.
Mackey Andrews has a history of advocacy supporting the health and well-being of children and families on a national, state, and local level. Now retired, she volunteers in leadership roles locally in the Maine Highlands including Helping Hands with Heart and the Working Community Challenge. As a former business owner and now, facilitator of local coalitions focusing on public health and prevention, Mackey Andrews brings considerable knowledge of the importance of collaboration, early intervention, and the significant importance of families in the development of supportive caring communities across the lifespan. She is a co-founder of the Maine Resilience Building Network and also serves on the Maine Commission on the Permanent Status of Women, is an advisor to The Bingham Program, formerly chair of the Penquis District Public Health Council and is an appointed member on the Statewide Coordinating Council for the Maine CDC. Mackey Andrews has lived in Dover-Foxcroft for more than 45 years, raising her family here and now in semi-retirement with her husband, Fred Andrews.