Winter Heating Guide

Reprinted from an eNewsletter published by Maine Senator Stacey Guerin, District 4.

With colder weather approaching, the Maine Department of Energy Resources’ 2026-2027 Winter Heating Guide can help residents save money, stay warm, and find assistance. The guide brings together practical tips, financial assistance programs, and contacts for help throughout the heating season.

Start by scheduling annual heating system maintenance and asking your fuel provider about automatic delivery to help avoid running out. You can also explore weatherization incentives through Efficiency Maine and MaineHousing. Maine’s heating fuel price reports can help you compare costs and make informed decisions.

Several programs offer support for eligible households:

  • Heating assistance: MaineHousing’s Home Energy Assistance Program helps qualifying homeowners and renters pay heating costs.
  • Electric bill assistance: The Low-Income Assistance Program helps qualifying households with electricity bills.
  • Home improvements: MaineHousing offers weatherization grants and assistance to repair or replace central heating systems for eligible households. Local Community Action Agencies can help residents explore available programs.

If you are very low on heating fuel and cannot afford a refill, you may qualify for emergency assistance. Call 211 or contact your local Community Action Agency for information.

The webpage also includes heating safety resources, warming center information, a recorded winter heating webinar, and a new printable contact sheet to share with neighbors, family members, or community organizations.

Suicide Prevention Month #4

September, 2026

Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.

Week 4: Supporting Recovery, Families, and Communities

  • People come through crisis. They survive loss. They find their way back. Healing is possible.
  • Those who have lived through suicidal crisis or a suicide loss carry something that matters — insight, resilience, and stories that make prevention more human and more hopeful.
  • Being there for someone after a loss or an attempt isn’t just an act of kindness. It is a form of prevention.
  • Real change starts with real voices. Peer support, and connection with others who have been through something similar, is part of how recovery happens.
  • Schools, workplaces, and communities with a plan in place after a suicide loss can respond with care, support healing, and help prevent further harm.
  • Dignity starts with being heard. When people feel respected and valued, they are more likely to seek help and stay connected to care.
  • September is one month. The commitment to connection, support, and healing is for all year long.  

Suicide Prevention Month #3

September, 2026

Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.

Week 3: Building Communities of Care Through Connection

  • Treatment works. People who receive timely, compassionate care for suicidal thoughts or behaviors can and do heal.
  • A safety plan gives people something to hold onto in their hardest moments: warning signs to watch for, coping strategies, people to call, and 988.
  • Suicide prevention should be part of everyday health care, not only a crisis response. Screening, planning, and follow-ups belong in routine care.
  • The days after someone leaves a hospital or emergency room are among the most difficult. Follow-up care and a call within 72 hours can change everything. Suicide prevention is possible.
  • Getting care early, before a crisis escalates, is one of the most powerful things health care can do for someone who is struggling. 
  • Connection, planning, and follow-up care make a real difference. When these pieces work together, they save lives. 

Coping With Election Day Stress

By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director

This is an intense election year. That’s one thing we can be sure of! The political phone calls and texts seem endless.

As the day approaches, it seems appropriate to offer some resources to help us manage through these difficult times. The resources listed below come from the JED Foundation, which has existed for 25 years and has a well-documented track record. I originally developed an interest in JED because it specializes in protecting the emotional health and preventing suicide of teens and young adults. They offer excellent programs and materials in partnership with schools, colleges, and parents. In short, I am comfortable and confident in recommending these resources.

Using mental health resources is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, accessing tools and information indicates strength and builds it. One of the things to like about the JED Website is that it is engaging and extremely easy to navigate. Most of these resources are equally applicable and valuable to older folk!

Just because no one else can heal or do your inner work for you, doesn’t mean you can, should, or need to do it alone.

Lisa Olivera


Suicide Prevention Month #2

September, 2026

Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.

Week 2: Connecting People to Crisis Support and Resources 

  • 988 is there for anyone who is struggling, not only for people in a full crisis. Feeling overwhelmed or in emotional pain is reason enough to reach out.
  • A real person answers every call, text, and chat to 988. The support is free, confidential, and available any time of day or night.
  • 988 is available in Spanish, for Veterans, for deaf and hard of hearing callers via ASL Videophone and chat, and in more than 150 languages. Help is there for everyone.
  • Knowing about 988 before you need it, and sharing it with the people in your life, is one of the most important things any of us can do.
  • Crisis care goes beyond 988. Mobile crisis teams, stabilization centers, and community behavioral health clinics are part of a network that helps people through their hardest moments.
  • Reaching out early, to a trusted person, a provider, or 988, before things reach a breaking point leads to better outcomes and more paths forward. 

Suicide Prevention Month #1

September, 2026

Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.

Week 1: Strengthen Suicide Prevention Together

  • The people in our lives can be a lifeline. Strong relationships and trusted connections help protect people when life gets hard.
  • Suicide prevention starts long before a crisis. Open conversations, shared resources, and visible awareness make a real difference.
  • Knowing the warning signs of suicide, in adults and in children and teens, means being able to recognize when someone needs support and connect them to help sooner.
  • Communities that talk openly about mental health and suicide help reduce the stigma that keeps people from asking for help.
  • Prevention is everyone’s responsibility, not just one organization’s. Families, schools, workplaces, faith communities, health systems, and individuals all have a role to play.
  • Small acts of connection, such as a check-in, a shared resource, a moment of genuine attention, are how communities take care of each other.

Tractor Safety Foundation’s Online Course

Available free for a limited time

Whether you’re new to operating tractors or looking to refresh your skills, the Tractor Safety Foundation’s course provides practical training to help you work safely and confidently. Participants will learn essential tractor operation, hazard recognition, equipment safety, and best practices to reduce the risk of accidents through engaging online learning. 

The course is open to adults and youth, and partially fulfills the Department of Labor requirements for 14- and 15-year-olds operating farm equipment for hire on farms other than their own. We are currently planning for in-person drive training days for the Advanced portion of this course.  This course is valued at $75, but is free to take for a limited time thanks to grant funding. To see more information and to register, visit the Tractor Safety Foundations course page.

Madison Grange Food Distribution

East Madison Grange is located at 15 Grange Road in East Madison

The East Madison Food Project giveaway day will be Friday, July 31st, from 10 am-11:30 am at the East Madison Grange. 1 box per family. Come early as supplies are limited. Doors open at 10 am. All are welcome!

Free Eye Exams & Glasses for Veterans and Dependents

For more information or assistance with booking, individuals can reach out directly to the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services by calling (207) 287-7020 or emailing MaineBVS@maine.gov. Note: This is only by appointment, and you must preregister online.

This Granger is Tri-ing

Granger Vicki Huff Takes on Challenge

Vicki Huff, Master of Hollis Grange, is participating for the first time in the annual Tri for a Cure Triathlon, in a commitment to her own health and recovery. Vicki explains her motivation in this short video.

Maine Cancer Foundation (MCF) leads this statewide effort to reduce the impact of cancer in Maine, investing in the most promising and effective programs that:

  • Improve access to care for all Maine people;
  • Advance cancer prevention
  • Increase screening and early detection

The triathlon consists of three parts. Vicki has teamed up with her sister Veronica. Veronica will handle the swimming and biking portions, while Vicki handles the walking and running portions. The name of their team is VForce.

This year’s event happens on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Tri for a Cure has become the largest triathlon in the state of Maine, providing a gorgeous race course along the shores of Cape Elizabeth and South Portland.

“The Tri” certainly has many impacts on everyone who is somehow touched by it. We asked Vicki to comment on how the Grange might be affected and how the Grange might have an effect.

The Triathlon has a great fundraising approach with several components. First, participants are required to raise a minimum of $500 each to be eligible. The Maine Cancer Foundation (MCF) recruits sponsors for the event itself, so all of the money raised goes directly to the cause.

While the VForce Team has raised the minimum. Additional donations are certainly in order! Use the link below to show your support. 100% of funds raised stay in Maine to support cancer prevention, screening, and improved patient outcomes. The money you help us raise will make a difference in the lives of your neighbors and communities around Maine. Now, more than ever, cancer patients need our help!