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Friday, January 9, 2026 Volume 21 • Issue No. 2
Free Culinary Training Creates Career Opportunities SEACOAST A nt i-hunger nonprof it Gather is recruiting participants for its new Fresh Start Culinary Workforce Training Program, scheduled to launch in February. The free, 12-week program will help community members who face barriers to employment gain the skills needed for careers in the restaurant industry. Gather aims to support people who face barriers to sustainable employment, including housing instability, substance use disorder, mental health challenges, or involvement in the justice or foster care systems. Up to 12 students will learn, practice, and apply fundamental cooking techniques during an eight-week training in Gather’s culinary classroom at its Community Food Center, 124 Heritage Ave., Portsmouth, NH. Participants
Left to right: Associate Director of Culinary Shelley Holroyd, Director of Strategy and Programs Tania Marino, Chef Instructor Tim Barr in the new teaching kitchen at Gather’s Community Food Center in Portsmouth, NH. (Courtesy photo)
will then complete a four-week internship in a food service setting to hone their skills, with the goal of securing full-time employment while helping ease labor shortages. Tania Marino, Gather’s director of programs and strategy, said Fresh Start is a natural fit with the organization’s mission, which includes offering
innovative programs that build food security across the Greater Seacoast region. “We are excited to introduce a program that provides a pathway for those we serve to rebuild their lives and get work, thereby shortening the line at our door,” she said. Seacoast-area chef Tim Barr will serve as the program’s instructor. Life skills specialist
Leah Roth will also work with participants to teach skills critical to job retention. Barr said he is looking forward to the new challenge of leading Gather’s culinary instruction. “My personal life experiences help me relate to people who may be a good fit for this program. If it were not for certain opportunities..., I would not be where I am today. In addition, having worked for a long time in the Seacoast restaurant industry, I also know how hard it can be to find staff. I am looking forward to teaching and connecting people to meaningful work while helping our restaurant industry,” he said. “We have been working with Catalyst Kitchens and its members for close to two years now in preparation for our Fresh Start program launch, and they
have provided invaluable input and ongoing support,” said Marino. “Following their bestpractice model makes us confident that we’re offering a tried and true program that will provide our students with the highest chance of success.... It’s clear that to make a real difference, we need wrap-around support for our students by providing them with life skills, in addition to knife skills, to ensure they enter the workforce fully equipped to manage all scenarios that they may face.” Gather is a Portsmouthbased social-service nonprofit that combats hunger on the Greater Seacoast by building food security with dignity. The organization serves more than 10,000 families each month See CULINARY on page 9 . . .
Senior Safe Driving Seminar at KFL KENNEBUNK How do ag i ng-related changes in health and function impact driving safety? How does Maine address medical concerns in driver licensing? How can older adults remain safely mobile behind the wheel? On Friday, Jan. 16, at 1 p.m., older adults, their families, and professionals who serve them are invited to Kennebunk Free Library for a Maine Mature Drivers presentation with Dr.
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Tom Meuser. The event is sponsored by No Place Like Home and the library. Meuser is a clinical psychologist, applied gerontologist, and social scientist based in Portland. He moved to Maine in 2018 from Missouri to serve as the founding director for the University of New England Center for Excellence in Aging & Health. He retired from this role in 2024 and is now self-employed as a geriatric neuropsychologist and
NATIONWIDE For those reluctant to part with their Christmas tree, consider this: More than 35% of U.S. home fires involving Christmas trees occur in January. With this post-holiday fire risk in mind, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) strongly encourages prompt removal of Christmas trees after the holiday season. “As much as we all enjoy the look and feel of Christmas trees in our homes, they’re large, combustible items that have the potential to result in serious fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “The longer they’re in the home, the more of a risk they present.” According to NFPA data, Christmas tree fires are rare, but when they do occur, they tend
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powering older adults, as well as the clinical providers who serve them, to make reasoned decisions about driving mobility. Maine’s driving regulations are an important part of Meuser’s discussion. The program is free and wheelchair accessible. The Kennebunk Free Library is located at 112 Main Street in Kennebunk. For more information, visit www.kennebunklibrary.org or call 207-985-2173. Dr. Meuser
can be reached at tom.meuser@ maine.gov. Photo from www. geropsychmaine.com.
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a researcher-educator for both the Maine Bureaus of Motor Vehicles and Highway Safety. Meuser led the team that developed Missouri’s approach to the medical evaluation of at-risk drivers in 2009. He also served as program evaluator for the American Medical Association’s Older Drivers Project, which continues today through the American Geriatrics Society. His speaking tour in Maine focuses on informing and em-
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to be more serious. Fresh trees dry out over time, making them increasingly flammable the longer they remain in the home. A dried-out tree will burn much more quickly than one that
is well watered. Between 2020 and 2024, there was an estimated annual average of 143 home structure fires that began with Christmas trees, resulting in seven civilian deaths, 13 civilian injuries, and $15 million in direct property damage. “Fires that begin with Christmas trees represent a very small but notable part of the U.S. fire problem, considering that they are generally in use for a short time each year,” said Carli. To safely dispose of a Christmas tree, NFPA recommends using local recycling programs whenever possible. Trees should not be left in the garage or outside. NFPA also offers these tips for safely removing lighting and decSee FIRE on page 21 . . .
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