Thousands of in-kind donations of time from volunteers, jail residents, and friends are what sustain VHJR's programs, as well as contributions of $1 to $200 from generous individuals, churches, organizations, and businesses.
One Ellsworth, ME business, The Riverside Cafe www.theriversidecafe.com, donates a free meal certificate for each Post-Release Packet provided by VHJR to newly released jail residents.
VHJR also works closely with other service organizations in the Ellsworth-area community. Prior to receiving the recent grant from the Maine Community Foundation, VHJR gratefully received a grant from MCF in 2004 to assist with program enhancement, post-release services, VHJR's new volunteer-mentoring program, and relationship building in greater Hancock County.
In 2002, VHJR was awarded a planning grant from Maine Initiatives Foundation and a grant from the Self-Education Foundation. And in 2003, the Maine Coalition on Smoking and Health contributed a counseling and education grant that allowed us to begin group chemical addiction counseling for the jail residents. Since that beginning we have again received assistance from Maine Community Foundation, from St. Francis Church Community Building Fund, and Coastal Hancock Healthy Communities
This early introduction of rehabilitation services by VHJR has now grown into a full-service rehabilitation program. As of February 2004, Open Door Recovery Center of Ellsworth, Maine is providing the first in-jail rehab in the state of Maine. We are grateful to Open Door, to the Hancock County Jail administrators, and to the Jail Residents for making this possible!
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Hope Magazine featured our volunteer work -- how we started and how we all
in "Downeast Volunteers Keep Jail Residents Connected."
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Radio Interviews about VHJR Programs:
Click HERE for RadioActive about Jail Residents' Art Show, Bo Lozoff and VHJR programs.
WERU-FM Community Radio, 89.9 Blue Hill, ME
Click HERE for another story about VHJR on RadioActive - WERU FM
Click HERE for a Voices show on WERU-FM, including readings
from Notes from Inside by Hancock Jail Residents.
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If you are interested in finding out more about Volunteers for Hancock Jail Residents
or call 207-374-3608
but first, please read through our website to find out more about what we do.