Annual Reports

Telling the Story of Healthy Communities of the Capital Area

Annual Reports date back to 2009, which chronicle the story of Healthy Communities of the Capital Area (HCCA) over the years. HCCA was formed through the merger of two aligned organizations - Southern Kennebec Healthy Communities in 1997 and Getting Healthy, a coalition for tobacco use prevention, in 2001. Reports and updates showcase program highlights through narrative descriptions, photographs, signs, logos, and statistics, and also feature the board members and staff.

2024: Reflection

ANNUAL AWARDEES

  • Lifting Youth Voices Award: Thank you for your consideration, caring, and protection of youth in the Hallowell community during City Council meetings this past year. In addition, eliminating the sale of flavored tobacco in Hallowell will help improve countless future generations of youth in their fight against the addictive power of nicotine. The service you provide the community is an excellent example of best practices in building a safer and happier place to live in Maine. Thank you to all individuals on the Hallowell City Council!

  • The Language Excellence Award: Thank you for volunteering your time and skills to translate and assist in designing flyers and tobacco treatment booklets. Your contribution provides accessibility to information about tobacco treatment and resources, alongside supporting local communities of all ages in getting the care they may need.

  • Ultimate Farm & Sea to School Champion Award: In recognition of your exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to the farm and sea to school movement. Your support with developing, launching, and implementing the Maine Farm & Sea to School Institute, especially during a period of being understaffed, and your overall dedication to promoting healthy, locally-sourced school meals, is making a profound impact on HCCA and the communities served. Your legacy continues to inspire, even in retirement.

  • Advocate for Youth Empowerment in Prevention Award: Thank you for your support and dedication to the Kennebec County Youth Advisory Board. Your passion and drive to support youth is admirable, and HCCA sincerely thanks you for providing additional opportunities for this amazing group of young people. HCCA appreciates you always including the KCYAB for all things youth!

  • Kennebec County Literacy Leader Award: Thank you for your dedication, support, patience, and positivity as your supported HCCA staff with StoryWalks in Kennebec County. Your perseverance and experience are truly inspiring, and HCCA is grateful to work alongside you to create and maintain StoryWalks.

  • Outstanding Youth Trailblazer & Empowerment Award: Thank you KC YAB for your extraordinary dedication and passion for creating positive change within your communities. HCCA recognizes your commitment and exceptional leadership in advocating for youth substance use prevention, mental health, community mattering, and more. You have provided the space for other youth in your communities to have a voice and feel powerful to join you in leading the way to make positive change. You all have demonstrated that age is not a barrier to making connections and improving lives.

  • We Couldn't Have Done it Without You Award: Thank you, Jane, for years of dedication to HCCA. As the organization's first finance staff person, you helped create and build the systems needed to support the staff, board, funders, and community partners who contribute to community-level change. Your gifts extend far beyond crunching numbers, and you have become an integral, valued part of Team HCCA. Your patience, insightfulness, knowledge, humor, and willingness to pitch in whenever and wherever needed have not gone unnoticed and will be missed. Best wishes in your retirement.

2023: Transformation

ANNUAL AWARDEES

  • Sticking with Us Award – Thank you for serving three full terms on HCCA’s Board of Directors. Your leadership and perspective has been invaluable throughout the community and organizational shifts over the past nine years. HCCA and the community has benefited greatly from your service.

  • Tobacco Prevention Persistence Prizewinner – Thank you for your persistence, patience and powerful positive perspectives as you supported HCCA staff in all things tobacco prevention over the past few years. Your experience, expertise, and willingness to go the extra step are greatly appreciated. Thank you, Linda!

  • Builder of Community, Literacy, and Health Award – Thank you for volunteering your time and skills to design and build 39 podiums for Gardiner Regional Middle School Story Walk. Your contribution has created sustainable environmental change to support literacy and physical activity in Gardiner and West Gardiner.

  • Change Catalyst Award: Champion of Youth Engagement and Substance Use Prevention – For stepping in, when needed, to support and implement youth engagement and substance use prevention activities in Kennebec County to generate positive community change. Your exceptional dedication and unwavering commitment to HCCA’s mission and vision is deeply appreciated.

  • Librarian and Mentor of ALL Students! – The High School Library at MSAD #11 is a safe and creative space for all students! Gardiner Creates was established during COVID providing students many opportunities to create and connect with community members. Thursday afternoon is now an extended after school program at the Gardiner Public Library, also established by our Extraordinary Librarian. Thank you for being our students’ mentor!

  • Champion of Health for Youth and Adults throughout Southern Kennebec County – Thank you for being an unwavering champion for Let’s Go! At HCCA. Your passion for networking to help make healthier choices easier is infectious and has helped embed the 5-2-1-0 message across the area. Though the work is changing and you are moving on, the legacy that you have created with this work, will continue. Best of luck on your retirement. Thank you, Nan!

OUTGOING BOARD MEMBERS

Pat Hopkins

2022: Better Together

ANNUAL AWARDEES

  • Better Together Award! Community Collaborator Across all Ages – As The Mayor of Gardiner, Business Owner, Rotarian, and Champion for our Youth, you are a stellar example of civic duty, empathy to community members, and encouragement to our youth to succeed and be a part of their community.

  • Better Together Award – For your leadership and vision for a sustainable and just Maine food system, weaving a network of leaders, advocates, and eaters who will continue this work for years to come.

  • Youth Advocate Award – For continued commitment to partnering with Healthy Communities of the Capital Area and being an advocate for youth voice and empowering the LGBTQ+ community. Youth at Augusta Schools are extremely lucky to have you as a resource and a friend. Thank you for all of the amazing work you do April!

  • Youth Advocate Award – For continued commitment to partnering with Healthy Communities of the Capital Area and being an advocate for youth voice and empowering the LGBTQ+ community. Youth at MSAD 11 are extremely lucky to have you as a resource and a friend. Thank you for all of the amazing work you do Beth!

  • Positive Influence Award – For your continued commitment to partnering with Healthy Communities of the Capital Area to educate and empower students against Big Tobacco’s marketing tactics and the negative effects of nicotine products on young lives. You are a true positive influence in the MSAD 11 community and set a great example for your fellow educators!

  • Community Collaborator Champion – HCCA recognizes you as being a Community Collaborator Champion for your commitment to making environmental change by promoting literacy and physical activity in the Readfield community. Your ability to organize and collaborate with library board members, volunteers, local businesses, school teachers, and students brought to life the vision of a permanent year-round StoryWalk to be a community-wide, free, family fun activity on the Readfield Library Trail. Thank you Melissa!

OUTGOING BOARD MEMBERS

Patrick Cheek, Colin Webb, Deborah Emery, Sarah Miller

Lisa Miller, Merry St. Pierre 

2021: Be the Seed

ANNUAL AWARDEES

  • Cultivating Nutrition Award – In appreciation of your determination to promote free school lunch during the pandemic for all children in RSU 2 throughout the school years of 2020-2021. Thank you for your willingness to speak with the media about free school lunch on behalf of all school districts in S. Kennebec County. Your voice helped to raise awareness and provide nutritional support to so many families in our communities.

  • Gleaning Champion Award – Supporting Community through Food Recovery. Providing essential time, resources, and effort to support the initiation and ongoing work of the Capital Area Gleaners. In appreciation of your service, especially during a time of heightened stress and need due to COVID-19, and your commitment to reducing food waste and increasing access to fresh vegetables for individuals and families living with food insecurity.

  • Planting the Seeds of Resilience and Wellness for Young People. Promoting youth leadership and resiliency through your collaboration on youth engagement projects, implementing the alternative to suspension program INDEPTH for tobacco, creating a comprehensive tobacco policy, and your willingness to partner on multiple projects that positively impact youth. In appreciation for your unwavering support of young people, collaborative spirit, and extraordinary partnership with HCCA.

  • Youth Leadership Award – Cultivating Supportive Environments for Peers. Promoting youth mental health through your involvement in the MEAA Youth Policy Board, extraordinary leadership, and positive influence amongst your peers. In appreciation for your collaborative spirit, unwavering desire to help others, and partnership with HCCA to address youth mental health.

  • Nurturing Seedlings Award. In appreciation for your comprehensive tobacco-free policy across all Town of Readfield properties to set a positive example for local youth that tobacco use is not a normal adult activity. Your policy also sets a great example for other towns in Maine!

  • Youth Leadership Award – Cultivating Supportive Environments for Peers. Promoting youth mental health through your involvement in the MEAA Youth Policy Board and Augusta Boys and Girls Club Youth Policy Board, extraordinary leadership, and positive influence amongst your peers. In appreciation for your collaborative spirit, unwavering desire to help others, and partnership with HCCA to address youth mental health.

OUTGOING BOARD MEMBERS

Barbara Ann Moss, Samantha Deming-Berr

Make a Donation.

HCCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is funded through charitable donations from people like you. Thank you for your generous support as we work to better local communities in Maine.