Join us at Plum Bakery in Gardiner, ME on the first Wednesday of every month at 5:00pm for a community potluck.

Fostering a welcoming space to do the work of community connection and organizing.

About

Direct Action Village is a space for finding and sharing resources, organizing strategies, and community. We are a hub where those who need help with connect with those who can help. Come to our monthly community potluck on the first Wednesday of the month.

Our Mission

Our mission is to foster a welcoming space to facilitate community connection and organizing.

Our Values

We believe everyone should have the things they need to live with dignity and safety.

Capital Area Commons

The Capital Area Commons (CAC) is a community of Augusta, ME capital area locals that administers both the New Trajectories microgrant fund and the Village fund stop-gap loan financial assistance program.

Applications are selected for funding via direct vote at monthly meetings. Financial contribution is not required to vote, and financial donations merit no special advantage in the voting process. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 5:00pm at 347 Water Street in Gardiner, ME. The only requirement to vote on a project is to be present at the meeting.

The CAC has no executive. Organizational positions are unpaid, voluntary, and held on a rotational basis.

New Trajectories

New Trajectories is a community-funded microgrant program aimed at supporting creative projects for social good in Maine's capital area.

Grants max out at $1,000 a month, pooled from members of CAC. Grants are no-strings-attached support for community projects. Grant proposals can be submitted by anyone.

Grant proposals are required to comply with all local, state, and federal laws. Preference is given to projects that serve Maine's capital area and can be accomplished within 3 months. Creativity and quirkiness are encouraged!

Apply for a grant here [BLANK]

Previous recipients of the New Trajectories Grant include:

• The Gardiner Poetry Festival
• Food not Bombs Kennebec County
• Vaughn Woods & Historic Homestead food pantry and community gardens
• Maine Youth Power, radical teen book club

Resources

Midcoast Food

There is now a capital area branch of Food Not Bombs that serves Gardiner, Hallowell, Augusta, Waterville, and everywhere in-between! Check them out on Instagram @foodnotbombskennebec.

Miles Delivers Action Coalition (MDAC)
MDAC is a group organizing to prevent the closure of another rural labor & delivery unit in Maine. They are currently organizing to keep the Miles Labor & Delivery unit at MaineHealth's Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, Maine open. They also have a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. Check out their website at milesdelivers.org.

Maine Breathes Easy (MEBE)
MEBE is a diverse and unranked group of community members that practice precautions against the dangerous impacts of COVID and other serious illnesses. They offer free support, connection, information, testing, personal protective equipment, and more through consensus-driven activities. Visit their website to learn more or to request free masks at mainebreatheseasy.org.

ICE Response

• Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition - Welcome to the Maine Immigrant Resource Hub & Hotline
• ILAP Maine - Know Your Rights
• Activate Maine
• Maine Solidarity Fund

Midcoast Food

MidcoastFood.me maintains a crowd-sourced statewide database of food resources across Maine. Find a resource near you or contribute a new listing!

Contact

Connect on Social Media

PS: Our GitHub is also where the source code for this website lives (and is even hosted for free via GitHub Pages)!