Dock Overlooking Blue Ocean with Pink Skies in Background

Maine Communities, #118

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Mainers are a giving group. We at the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour have been fortunate to spend time with a wide variety of giving individuals, from Mark Swann of the Preble Street Resource Center, and Billy Shore & John Woods of Share Our Strength, to Julie Marchese of the Maine Cancer Foundation’s Tri for A Cure. Our affiliation with Maine Magazine, Maine Home + Design and the Kennebunkport Festival has given us a seat at the table with more than 70 charitable organizations. Today we speak with Eleanor Kinney and Meredith Jones, two individuals who understand the importance of providing support to Maine communities. We hope that you are inspired by our conversations during this season of giving.

 

Guests

Eleanor Kinney

Eleanor Kinney

Eleanor Kinney lives on a diversified, organic farm in coastal Maine and is deeply committed to sustainable agriculture and to investing in local food. She serves on the steering committee of Slow Money Maine and is co-founder of No Small Potatoes, an investment club that provides micro-loans to Maine farmers and the food businesses that source from them. She recruits new investors to the club as well as to investment opportunities that connect capital to agricultural infrastructure projects. Using a diversity of financial tools, Eleanor is invested in local food businesses including an organic milk company, a grist mill, a vegetable processing facility, several slaughter houses and distribution companies. She serves on the board of Maine Farmland Trust and is a member of the Environmental Funders Network, a group of foundations and philanthropists making grants to Maine nonprofits.

Meredith Jones

Meredith Jones

Meredith Jones, president and CEO of the Maine Community Foundation, has dedicated much of her life to improving the lives of Maine citizens. In the fields of health, education, leadership and philanthropy, she has helped shape policy and programs that have had a lasting impact on Mainers. Jones has developed and led a number of significant programs, including Leadership Maine and the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education. Jones is a graduate of Colby Sawyer College and the University of Maine at Augusta, which awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Human Letters in 2013. Jones’s family roots go back more than 200 years in Washington County, Maine.

More from the Show

Our financial wellness tip of the week is brought to you by Tom Shepard of Shepard Financial. While Dr. Lisa Radio Hour business advisor, Marci Booth of BOOTH Maine, offers better business tips, Ted Carter of Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes shares important talking points, and Black Bear Medical covers health and fitness updates.