DECEMBER 2023.VOL. 23 NO. 12. PORTLAND, MAINE.
PORTLAND’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER. FREE!
Feel Good by Doing Good A look at a few local ways to feel good by doing good this season “Nearly one thousand people have volunteered their time to Preble Street this year to help support Mainers experiencing hunger and homelessness. It takes many, many hands to accomplish all we do — including providing over one million meals each year and ensuring people living outside have the clothing and gear they need to stay safe — and volunteers play a key role,” says Preble Street Volunteer Manager Elisa Fleig. “Preble Street volunteers - whether they volunteer once a year or once a week - make a difference, one meal, one interaction, and one act of kindness at a time. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of this amazing group of people!”
By Tony Zeli
It’s not a new idea, but in recent years more and more researchers are demonstrating the link between doing good and feeling good. For instance, volunteering is great for mental health. A review of some forty papers published by peer-reviewed BMC Public Health journal found that volunteering had favorable effects on depression, life satisfaction, and overall wellbeing. Further, volunteering and giving can even have positive physical effects, such as lowering your blood pressure. A 2013 study published in the journal Psychology and Aging demonstrated that adults over age fifty who volunteered about four hours a week were forty percent less likely than non-volunteers to have developed hyperTo donate, visit the Preble Street tension four years later. Receiving Center at 18 Portland Street, So, to help us all live a little longer Portland, between 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monand happier, here are a few ideas to in- day, Wednesday, and Friday. To drop off spire. Be a part of the solution and give outside of those hours or for a list of the time or donations to Preble Street, shovel current most urgent needs, visit www. snow for seniors, or do good by simply preblestreet.org/you-can-help/in-kind-dobeing thoughtful about where you shop nations. for holiday gifts.
Food donations are accepted seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Preble Street Preble Street Food Security Hub at 75 Organizations like Preble Street, Darling Avenue, South Portland. Donawhich operates Northern New England’s tions of canned goods and non-perishable largest direct service emergency food items are especially appreciated. program, rely on the generosity of the community. According to Danielle Smaha, Shoveling for Seniors Preble Street Communications Director, Age Friendly Portland, a program of this season winter gear is especially crit- the city’s Elders Affairs office, is seeking ical to help those living outside to survive volunteers to shovel snow for elderly the freezing winter temperatures. Needs neighbors this winter. If you can’t help by include gently used and clean coats, boots, shoveling, consider becoming a neighborgloves, and hand warmers. But, in addition hood coordinator and help pair volunto giving, consider volunteering a little of teers with neighborhood seniors. your time. Even a small gift of time and “Portland has many distinct and very energy can pay big dividends for you and others. different neighborhoods, so having coor-
dinators who know their neighbors and the local streets helps to make this city-wide program much more manageable,” says Linda Weare, director of Elder Affairs. The city manag- Because volunteering is good for mental and physical health. es the snow shoveling program as a part of Portland’s positive force for the community – thanks Age-Friendly Community Initiative. There to the local multiplier effect. is no grant funding for the snow shoveling What is the local multiplier? Conprogram and it relies on volunteers. “The ceptually you probably already get it. snow shoveling program works because Buying locally keeps more money in the of the kind hearts (and strong backs!) of local community. What is interesting is the volunteers,” says Weare. that economists have been running the So, whether you can donate your data and the local multiplier effect is very time shoveling, or would like to help by real. When you spend your dollars at a coordinating and pairing volunteers with local and independently owned business seniors, now is the time to pitch in. And instead of a chain store or online giant, many of you are! In the past two months, much more of your money recirculates thanks to recruitment efforts, some forty through the local economy. volunteers have signed up. However, of the In fact, the local multiplier adds two thirteen neighborhoods in Portland parto four times more money into the local ticipating in the snow shoveling program, economy than the money spent at non-loonly nine of them have volunteer coordical companies. This is largely because indenators. pendent business owners spend more of If you are age sixty-five or over and their revenue locally than chain stores do. a Portland homeowner in need of help Not to mention local workers spend their with shoveling, or can help by volunteer- hard-earned money around town, too. ing, contact agefriendlycommunity@portEven purchasing gift cards this holilandmaine.gov or call 207-541-6620. day season – or all year long – can be a way to support local businesses. Though Local Multiplier Effect it doesn’t influence the multiplier effect This time of year there is a lot of pres- directly, it does mean more purchases at sure to buy, buy, buy… Yet we all know that locally owned businesses, which means consumerism doesn’t make us feel good – more benefits for the community thanks at least not in a meaningful and lasting way. to the positive impacts of the multiplier However, if you make good choices, you effect. Cont'd on Pg. 3 can turn holiday consumerism into a more
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