Working Waterfront Support Fund Gets Support

As coastal Maine continues to get back on its feet after January’s storms, a couple of efforts to help those who make a living on the water caught our eye over the past few days, and both support the Maine Coastal Fishermen’s Association and its Working Waterfront Support Fund. On Friday, January 19, Freeport’s Maine Beer Company hosted an event at its tasting room, dedicating 20 percent of its food sales to the fund and arranging a raffle. The company also donated $30,000 to waterfront rebuilding efforts.

"Doing good through great beer is the reason Maine Beer Company exists, and supporting our community is an important part of that commitment,” CEO Steve Mills said in a release from MCFA. “After learning about the recent destruction along Maine’s coast, we were keen to help in some way. Our friends at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association worked with us to respond quickly and host an event to benefit our fishing communities. We couldn’t be more proud of them, the work they do and the generosity of so many that stopped by our tasting room and donated.”

Meanwhile, the Maine Island Trail Association is selling a sharp-looking, limited-edition T-shirt, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Waterfront Support Fund. The dark blue shirt features MITA’s logo and a modified version of the MCFA cod logo, along with a message of coastal resilience: “Rising Above the Highest Tides.

Shirts sell for $30 and are available at the association’s Gear Shop. Shirts are expected to ship the week of February 5.

“MITA's volunteers will spend countless hours removing storm debris from the islands when our workboat fleet comes out of winter storage, but we wanted to do something to support those who are making an impact right now,” MITA’s Nick Parson said. “MCFA was immediate in their response, putting resources and guidance out there literally before the storm was even over. MITA members share Maine's coastal waters with fishermen every day, and a lot of our stewardship efforts are staged along the working waterfront. A swift recovery is critical for us as well as the many people who make their living on the water, so we got creative and did something that we could roll out right away. We're so grateful that the response has been huge.”