American Heart Month provides awareness and information on heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of disability. Coronary heart disease is the most common heart disease in the United States and often appears as a heart attack.

The chance of developing heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put people at greater risk. Knowing signs and symptoms of a heart attack are crucial to positive outcomes.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention  provides information on heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cholesterol and dietary salt intake.

Electricity Maine is a locally owned and operated electricity supply company providing Mainers with a lower rate on electricity and helping the people of Maine. Mainers now have the power to choose who supplies their electricity.

Pay less each month on your electricity bill by enrolling with Electricity Maine.  For more informaton or to enroll in the program, call toll-free at 866-573-2674. You can also print off the enrollment form on website and fax to 207-777-5566. Savings can be as high as 17% a month. No formal complaints have been made against Electricity Maine at the PUC or to the Public Advocate Office.

Keep ME Warm, a collaboration of the 10 United Ways in Maine and the 10 Community Action Programs, is raising money to supplement emergency fuel programs.  The program helps those who may not be eligible for limited federal, state or local fuel assistance programs.

If you wish to donate by mail, please send to Keep Me Warm Fund, c/o MCAA, P.O. Box 200, E. Wilton, ME 04234. Credit card donation can also be made online at Keep Me Warm.  Please donate now. Your contributions will assist our friends and neighbors in need through the winter months.

The flu season is still active and flu vaccines are available. Certain populations are at greater risk for serious complications from the flu.

The Google Flu Vaccine Finder provides location information searchable by city, state or zip code. Flu vaccine locations are also available by dialing 2-1-1 Maine. If you are interested in learning more about the flu, please visit Maine.Flu.gov.

Kieves Veterans Camp is a non-medically based program which provides a low stress, challenge-by-the choice environment allowing veterans and families an opportunity to share like-experiences.

The Kieve Veterans Camp is offered at No Cost to the camper and is a drug and alcohol free program. Veterans who are single or who have families are welcome as are families of Service Members who are currently deployed. All cabins, rooms, meals, activities (both on or off campus), transportation in and around camp activities, and activity equipment is provided by Kieve.

Dec 5-9  2011 – OIF/OEF/OND Family Camp

Jan 9 – 13  2012 – Vietnam Veterans Camp (no children, please)

Jan 30 – Feb 3 2012 – OIF/OEF/OND Family Camp

Feb 27 – Mar 2 2012 – Women Veterans Camp (no children, please)

Please contact Joe or Deb at 563-5172 for information on how to register or apply online.

My Maine Connection is an online connection to the Food Supplement Program,  Medical Assistance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and/or Child Care. A screening tool helps you find out if you are eligible. The website also has an online application to apply for these programs.

Apply from home, libraries or any other location with internet access. My Maine Connection provides another option to apply for these benefits. You still have the option of going to your local DHHS office to get help if you want. If  you are having any problems, you can contact DHHS at 1-855-797-4357 Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm or email mmchelp.dhhs@maine.org.

2-1-1 Maine is a comprehensive statewide directory of over 8,000 health and human services available in Maine. The toll free 2-1-1 hotline connects callers to trained call specialists who can help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Finding the answers to health and human services questions and locating resources is as quick and easy as dialing 2-1-1 or visiting www.211maine.org

2-1-1 Maine joins the efforts of  The Maine Military & Community Network (MaineMCN), a collaborative effort by Maine organizations, volunteers, and others, to raise awareness about the challenges service members, veterans, and their families face.Across the state, Mainers are working together to help connect service and family members to resources in their communities.Together we can help ensure that no matter whom a military service or family member turns to, he or she will find the assistance they need.

This Network is a community effort to understand, prevent, and help deal with the lingering aftereffects of war on service members, their families, and their communities. Together, we work to raise awareness about:

• Challenges faced by service members and their families
• Resources that exist to help them
• How we can help connect service members and their families to their Maine communities

The Maine Military & Community Network was created in early 2009 to address the needs of military families and returning service members. It started as an Inter-Service Family Assistance Committee (ISFAC) and today has grown into a full-blown statewide collaborative Network. Working collaboratively, the Military Family Assistance Centers, the Togus VA and Vet Centers, the Maine National Guard (Army and Air, leadership, Deployment Cycle Support, Family Program), the Bureau of Maine Veterans Services, Maine state health services, and many other community members are creating a safety network. This group is working to spread the word about the challenges that exist for service members, veterans and their families, as well as what resources exist to help. To this end, the Network facilitates communication and sponsors training and educational events for all members of the community.

The Maine Military & Community Network has partnered with 2-1-1 Maine to help ensure that Service Members, Veterans, and their families can easily access important resources. Just dial 2-1-1 from anywhere in Maine to get personal assistance to find the resources you need.

Mainers want to take care of their own, and many services and resources already exist in Maine: groups who work to help veterans, service members, and military families directly or by training providers who work with them. What is needed is more effective communication, both to those in need about the resources and services available and the fact that they are not alone, and among providers who assist them–so that regardless of which door someone walks through, he or she will find appropriate support and assistance.

The Website www.mainemcn.org is the core of the communication structure to fill this need. In addition, the Network was officially launched via a kickoff conference at Colby College on June 11, 2009. Almost 200 community members attended. Regional groups were subsequently started across the state in Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, Belfast, Sanford, Augusta, Caribou, and Houlton.

The Network has no direct financial support. Funding to begin this effort came from a Department of Defense grant. The grant provides funding to measure the effectiveness of this network in creating greater awareness across the community about the issues and challenges faced by service members and their families and the resources and services available. The Maine network is built on a model developed in Vermont (www.vtmfcn.org) and a handful of other states across the US (e.g. RI, OH, NC, WA, NY). A similar network has been in existence in Vermont since 2005.