Piscataquis Cty Transition Team Updates

 Piscataquis County Transition Team continues it’s work with the local unemployed in 2010.   

The Piscataquis County Transition Team held their first meeting of 2010 on Thursday, January 7^th at the Penquis office in Dover-Foxcroft.  The team received updates on the current layoffs, the status of Moosehead Furniture of Monson and local work slow down at local mills from the Department of Labor.  Many of the laid off worker are in trainings and higher education courses.  The work ready program has 10+ signed up to start the course in late January.  Other members updated their programs and services that are offered to the unemployed of the area such as fuel assistance and health services by Penquis;  domestic violence issues by WomanCare;  Mental health services for families by Community Health & Counseling;  education and enrichment classes by the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative;  higher education classes and new program development located in Piscataquis County by the Penquis Higher Education Center and Eastern Maine Community College; Job searching, labor force readiness workshops and assistance with unemployment by Eastern Maine Development Corporation in Dover-Foxcroft; The USDA’s 504 programs are for individuals that own and occupy their property that are looking to do repairs and or upgrades.  Also our 502 mortgage financing programs assist individuals with all of their mortgage financing needs; and MaineStream Finance will be holding classes and workshops about starting a business that are free. 

The team received a donation of wool long underwear from Tom and Kate Chappell, the founders of Tom’s of Maine.  Current laid off workers are eligible to receive the donated wool long underwear but there is a limited amount and sizes so it will be first come, first served.  Contact Deb Burgess at the EMDC office located at the Morton Avenue Complex in Dover-Foxcroft or call her at 564-8196. 

The Piscataquis County Transition Team is a group of organizations, businesses and individuals that work to support the needs of the greater Piscataquis region’s workers and their families.  For more information and/or resources please visit www.PiscataquisResources.org or call Penquis at 564-7116 or email James Macomber at jmacomber@penquis.org.  The team meets the first Thursday of each month at Penquis located at 50 North Street in Dover-Foxcroft at 8 am.