As we look forward to celebrating our veterans on Nov. 11, the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services has a variety of resources available for Maine veterans and their families. Assistance for Maine military members and their families is available here or by calling 888-365-9287. Those veterans who are having difficulty readjusting to civilian life can find resources here or by calling 877-927-8387. If you are a veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, you are encouraged to contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (877-424-3838) for assistance or visit their website. Women veterans can contact the Women Veterans Call Center at 855-829-6636 for information about a variety of services and benefits available, including women’s health and maternity care. For veterans in crisis, seek help by dialing 988, then press 1. There is also a dedicated website for veterans and their families that has additional resources to help a veteran family member in need. Support local this November  There are ample opportunities to support Maine-manufactured goods this month. In addition to numerous MaineMade craft and food fairs, the first week in November is 207 Beer Week. 207 Beer Week is a week-long celebration of the artistry and science behind Maine’s finest beer and the unrivaled hospitality community that support the craft brewing industry dotting Maine’s landscape from Kittery to Fort Kent. Events began on Saturday, Nov. 1 and run through Sunday, Nov. 9. To find a participating brewery near you, visit the Maine Brewers’ guild website. The Maine Harvest Festival will also be held this month. Scheduled for Nov. 22-23, the festival will feature vendors from all across New England. Sample the best of the best from our Maine vintners, brewers, distillers, artisans and crafters. Begin your holiday shopping with festival fiber artisans and their masterpieces and enthusiastic Maine chefs and home cooks as they showcase and share their story, demonstrate, sample and sell what makes Maine… well, Maine. The Maine Harvest Festival will be held at Bangor’s Cross Insurance Center and admission is free. For a list of vendors, visit the festival’s website. 2026-27 FAFSA now available to all applicants  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms for the 2026-2027 academic year are now available for those wishing to apply at StudentAid.gov. There are two deadlines to keep in mind for Maine residents filing their FAFSA. To be considered for state grants, scholarships and loans, applications must be received by May 1, 2026. If you miss the May 1 deadline, you may still be eligible for federal student aid if you file by June 30, 2026. Individual colleges and universities may set their own deadlines. All students should file their FAFSA application as it opens the door to many types and sources of financial aid, including funds that don’t have to be repaid. All schools use FAFSA to determine eligibility for federal and state financial aid, and many schools use FAFSA to determine eligibility for their institutional financial aid. The FAFSA application must be completed for each school year. Dependent students and their parents will both need to complete their respective sections of the FAFSA application. Everyone logging into FAFSA will need their own StudentAid.gov account username and password to access their section of the application process. When students log in, only student questions will appear. If parental information is required, parents (referred to as a “contributor”) will only see parental questions when they log into their section. For the 2026-27 FAFSA, students will only need to provide a parent’s email address to invite them. The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) will be holding a virtual FAFSA Help Session this month. At the sessions, FAME and other financial aid experts will provide a quick FAFSA overview followed by personalized FAFSA filing assistance. To register for the help session, visit FAME’s website. Food assistance resources For those who need food assistance, the Maine Department of Agriculture and Forestry has a variety of resources available for Maine individuals and families. For those needing immediate direct food assistance, a list of available Emergency Food Assistance Program resources can be found here or by calling 888-365-9287. 211Maine also has links to resources for those seeking meal programs for both adults and youth. Dial 211 or visit the food page on their website for more information. If none of these resources is adequate, Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine works directly with over 600 organizations to help feed Mainers. Visit their Find Food map page for more information. Maine State Trivia “The Maine Law,” which was enacted in 1851, made Maine the first state to implement what policy that would eventually be ratified in the United States Constitution? Republican Vision for Maine  In this week’s edition of the Republican Vision Series, Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart and Assistant Senate Republican Leader Matt Harrington sit down to discuss the state of public safety in Maine. To watch this week’s Republican Vision, please follow the link provided. Maine State Trivia Answer  Pictured above is an early 1930’s postcard making light of the availability of alcohol in Maine despite prohibition being in effect. “The Maine Law” was the first state-level statutory implementation of prohibition in the United States. Maine was at the forefront of the prohibition movement with the world’s first Total Abstinence Society founded in Portland in 1815. Portland mayor and temperance activist Neal Dow helped craft the 1851 legislation that banned the sale of alcohol throughout the state. By 1855, 12 states had passed their own prohibition statutes. Eventually, the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1919, establishing the prohibition of alcohol in the nation. The Maine Law remained in effect until the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, in 1933. Connect with us!       Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email |
