FAMILIES FIRST COMMUNITY CENTER
Serving Homeless Families with Children in Hancock County
If you are purchasing tickets for an event, please donate the ticket price and leave a memo stating your intentions. Thank you!
Our mission is to break the cycle of homelessness by equipping families with minor children with the skills they need to gain self-sufficiency.
PICTURE GALLERY
Upcoming Events
Be sure to join us for our other upcoming events:
Coming Soon!
Grand Opening - 2019
See You There!
FFCC Board President, Terri Ouellette (second from right), accepted a check from the Hancock County Commissioners' Community Benefit Fund. The Fund was distributed to many local non-profits. FFCC received $25,000! Thank you!
Betsey Grant, owner of Tiny Tikes Daycare, along with her incredible Staff, Parents, and Children, held a fundraiser for FFCC and raised $10,020!!! Tiny Tikes Daycare is an amazing local business who goes out of their way to help others! All the children have learned about children less fortunate than they are! Tiny Tikes is a wonderful example of the community support that those in need, and FFCC, are so thankful for!!!
Check out our "Thank You" Christmas Tree at the Holiday Marketplace in Downtown Ellsworth (where J&B Atlantic used to be) that features YOUR business!
We have highlighted Donors from #GivingTuesday, businesses that have helped us with Renovations and our Second Annual Dinner, as well as the Life Skills we will be teaching at the Home!
FFCC was given the chance to have the community vote for us to receive a grant from Franklin Savings Bank. Thanks to your votes, we were awarded $5,000, and they made us this adorable canvas to hang in our Home! Thank you so much to everyone who voted!!
FFCC was featured by Hannaford Helps again in September 2018. Thank you to everyone who bought a bag!
FFCC's storefront display for Autumn Gold 2018 was painted on the window of 2nd to None on Main Street. There was a contest for best display, winners TBA.
Families First Community Center was asked by the Maine Community Foundation to take part in the Sunbeam Award video honoring their Washington and Hancock county funds.
If you start at 6:53, you can see FFCC, but watch the whole thing to see a lot of great groups.
We are so honored and humbled to be joined with all the fantastic nonprofit honored in these two counties!!
Maine Community Foundation has been a TREMENDOUS help to FFCC with funds and a lot of support!!
This beautiful queen-size quilt was donated courtesy of the Island Quilters Guild of Somesville!
We raffled it off in the Summer of 2018, and raised over $1000!!
Thank you so much Island Quilters Guild!
Congratulations to the winner:
Cynthia Wood
FFCC’s 2nd Annual Benefit Dinner “Reaching for the Stars” at Big Cat’s Catering was a great success, netting FFCC $12,000!! We thank all our Volunteers and all who came, made donations, bought advertisements and raffle tickets and bid on our Live Auction Items! We especially thank Alex Grant!
Everyone had a great time as you can see from one of the Big Winners here! And yes, that is Stu Marckoon doing our five Live Auctions!
3 year terms were completed in August 2018 for president and secretary of FFCC. Featured is the newly elected president, Terri Ouellette (center), and new elected secretary Wendy Schweikert (left). Samantha Coffin (right), Treasurer, has one year left.
FFCC at the Flash! in the Pans Concert with Everybody Eats on September 3, 2018.
FFCC raised over $800 at our Fundraising Yard Sale on June 30, 2018.
FFCC Board Members attended the Tech Conference at EMCC on April 19, 2018.
FFCC really enjoyed the fellowship of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Ellsworth at a dinner on June 15, 2018.
Please VOTE for Families First Community Center to win $5,000 from the Bangor Savings Banks grant, "Community Matters More"! Voting will be from February 1 - 28. You can vote by going to
bangor.com/cmm
, going into your local branch of Bangor Savings Bank, or contacting Families First Community Center for a ballot! You can vote only once, but for as many as three different nonprofits. Please listen here to the advertisement that will be on the Blueberry Broadcasting Networks during the month of February.
Thank you for your VOTE!!!
FFCC Board Members received a giant $5,000 check from the Bangor Savings Bank Community Matters More grant on June 4, 2018, thanks to You!
FFCC had a fantastic day at the State House, and we were especially excited when Louie dropped by!
FFCC at the 2017 Ellsworth Holiday Parade.
Our Christmas Tree at Woodlawn in 2017.
We had a GREAT groundbreaking on November 9, 2017! Dawn and Paige spoke, and representatives of Seaboard Federal Credit Union were in Attendance. Kyle was presented with a golden crowbar in a shadow box after prying off the first shingle!
Wish List
Thanks to WABI for covering us once again,
this time with the first ever exclusive footage from inside our home!
this time with the first ever exclusive footage from inside our home!
FFCC’s 1st Annual Fundraising Dinner at Chippers was a great success, netting FFCC $8,500! We thank all who came, made donations, and bought advertisements! We especially thank Chipper!
Thanks for coming to our party. There were some great buys for all!
We were on TV again in July. Read the online article
here
. Thanks WVII and Fox Bangor!
We had a Clever Container Fundraiser in May
Adrienne Graves was kind enough to host another Sip N Swirl for us - this time we painted buoys! These folks were very creative with theirs! Thanks to everyone who came!
WERU's Family Corner 5/24/17
Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: Amy Browne
Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: Amy Browne
Issue: Homelessness in Hancock County
Program Topic: Families First Community Center (FFCC)
Key Discussion Points:
a) Young families, especially young women ages 18-23, and young children constitute the greatest increase in homelessness nationally and here in Maine
b) FFCC is working to break the cycle of homelessness by equipping young families with minor children with the skills they need to gain self-sufficiency
c) They are working to open a transitional home that will house up to six families for between 12-18 months, supporting them to learn essential like skills (cooking, money management, child development, etc.), prepare for life through employment training, etc. with mentors to support them in overcoming barriers and learning new skills.
a) Young families, especially young women ages 18-23, and young children constitute the greatest increase in homelessness nationally and here in Maine
b) FFCC is working to break the cycle of homelessness by equipping young families with minor children with the skills they need to gain self-sufficiency
c) They are working to open a transitional home that will house up to six families for between 12-18 months, supporting them to learn essential like skills (cooking, money management, child development, etc.), prepare for life through employment training, etc. with mentors to support them in overcoming barriers and learning new skills.
Guests
Dawn Carter Coffin, President of FFCC Board of Directors
Jamie Willis Hunt, FFCC Board member and lead for their fund development efforts
Dawn Carter Coffin, President of FFCC Board of Directors
Jamie Willis Hunt, FFCC Board member and lead for their fund development efforts
Click to Listen
In the month of March at the Ellsworth Hannaford, you can buy a good karma bag, and the benefits go to FFCC! These bags are only a dollar so pick one up on your next shopping trip!
Help us, Help you, Help the environment!
The Ellsworth American
and
WVII Channel 7
have both talked about us being involved in this program!
FFCC was featured in a 2-part series about generational poverty and homelessness (along with Hospitality House, a Transitional Home in Rockport). It aired on Feb 6th at 5 and 6 on WABI! Click
here
and
here
to see the videos on WABI's website. Here are some pictures and videos we took from our shoot!
We've been on TV again recently, twice! Thank you so much WVII and WLBZ!
Also, some of the Services that we will be supplying for the Life Plan's (along with our partners in the community) include: Education, Medical/Therapeutic Services, Safety & Stability, and Life Skills including Instructions on how to maintain housing by being a respectful tenant, neighbor & community member, Job Coaching – interviewing, resume writing, job search skills, professional presentation and attire, job responsibility education,Interpersonal skill building – communication, conflict resolution, healthy relationships, self-esteem and self-assertiveness training, Housekeeping skills, Grocery Shopping, Nutrition (including Gardening) and Cooking, Personal Finance/Budgeting, Parenting Classes (including how to find and keep reliable child care), Help obtaining a Maine Driver’s License... and much more!!!
FFCC participates in the CLYNK Program at Hannaford. You can donate your can and bottle money to FFCC by picking up the
green bags and letting them know it’s for us!
green bags and letting them know it’s for us!
We are currently selling Jar Lanterns that include: fairies, cupids, children, animals, Mickey & Minnie, Love, nature scenes, butterflies, hearts, flowers, and much, much more! We use frosted Mason Jars and also colored tissue paper to make them. We usually use twine on the top but can also use ribbons. We can decorate with charms (silver and bronze), berries, flowers, etc. If you would like a special order or to know what we have “in-stock”, contact us! Many also sold on our Facebook page.
We are also selling these teacup bird feeders and our new Chalkboard Shutters: you can write appointments, clip reminders and they have clips! Contact us for more information or buy from our Facebook page!
FFCC at the Holiday Festival, Dec. 17th, at the Maine Coast Mall
FFCC at the Craft Fair at the Ellsworth VFW Hall on Dec. 10
FFCC also participated in the Craft Fair at City Hall! We had so much fun talking to everyone who came by! Thank you everyone for your support! As you can see, we were selling the teacup birdfeeders Nancy is holding up, jar lanterns and shutter chalkboards! We also had two toys that we raffled off!
On Saturday, Dec. 3rd, FFCC participated in the Ellsworth Parade! That was so much fun! We handed candy out to the kids and flyers explaining FFCC out to the parents! We also were able to give two HUGE stuffed animals out to two children along the route - a Maine Moose and a Maine Black Bear with FFCC lanyards on their necks!
Craft Fair at the Franklin Veterans Club - Saturday, November 26, 2016. One of our best craft fairs yet!
Our Christmas Tree at Woodlawn for 2016.
Please see our facebook page for individual life skills ornaments.
We’d like to thank Adrianne Graves and China Hill for sponsoring our most recent Sip and Swirl on Friday, November 4th. We had a great turn-out! Everyone had a great time, FFCC made money towards our Home, and as you can see, the paintings turned out great!
We were so please to host a luncheon at the Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor on Thursday, November 3rd!
We had a great time giving out treats to all the adorable ghosts and goblins at Trunk or Treat in the Ellsworth City Hall parking lot on Halloween!
We all had a great time at the Fall Festival at the Old Surry Village School on Saturday October 1st.
We’d like to thank everyone for stopping by our table at Autumn Gold 2016 – FFCC’s 2nd Annual Autumn Gold
In remembrance of 9/11, the Volunteer Drive at St. Andrew’s
FFCC at the Franklin Historical Society Craft Fair in August 2016.
FFCC at Sullivan Daze in August 2016.
Thank you all for coming to our Juke Rockets Concert. Everyone had loads of fun. Thanks to the Juke Rockets for playing for us once again, and thank you to the City of Ellsworth for letting us have this event in Knowlton Park. The weather was perfect!!
Some pictures from FFCC at the Sip N’ Swirl Paint Nite given by Adrienne Graves and Silpada Jewelry Farewell given by Kate Faragher Houghton. A great time was had by all and the paintings were fantastic as you can see!
FFCC at the Memorial Day Parade 2016 in Ellsworth and we gave out lollipops with I <3 USA backings and also bags of seeds to adults!
FFCC at the recent 1st Annual Ladies Expo at the Moore Community Center in Ells.
FFCC at the recent Bar Harbor Barter & Swap Supersale at the Atlantic Oceanside Inn
FFCC at the recent Yard Sale at the Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor!
FFCC at the recent Ladies Night Out at Bucksport High School
Families First Community Center has been lucky enough to have been featured on all three news stations in DownEast Maine. Click each box to see the videos and stories.
Thank you for coming to our dance at the Elks Club with the Juke Rockets. Everyone had a good time and we raised money towards our home.
You can help us by sharing this with your friends and relatives and on social media! Please go to bangor.com and write in:
Families First Community Center
FFCC at the Holiday Festival 12-12-15
FFCC at the EHS Craft Fair, 12-5-15
FFCC at the Christmas Parade, 12-5-15
FFCC's Bowling Fundraiser, 11-17-15
FFCC's Life Skills Christmas Tree at Woodlawn, 11-16-15
FFCC at Autumn Gold, 9-26-15
FFCC's Meet and Greet with Ellsworth Businesses, 10-22-15
An article in the Ellsworth American, December 2016
A letter to the editor written to the Ellsworth American, January 2016
An article about our renovations from June 2018.