Camp to Belong Maine recently was awarded $10,000 by 100 Women Who Give, a Waterville Area Women’s Club philanthropic event. Camp to Belong reunites Maine siblings separated by foster care, adoption, or other out-of-home care through a week of summer camp and shared experiences and memories. It was one of three Central Maine nonprofits recognized at the 100 Women Who Give event held April 10th at Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, Maine.
Three local nonprofits—Camp to Belong, the Maine Women’s Lobby Education Fund, and the South End Teen Center—were selected to share their missions and raise awareness of their important work at the second annual 2025 event. Attendees of the 100 Women Who Give event each bought tickets for $100, thus raising $10,000 to be awarded to one local nonprofit that night.
Camp to Belong Maine
Adrian Phair, Camp to Belong Board Member, spoke on behalf of the organization and its belief that all siblings deserve the opportunity to spend meaningful time with their brothers and sisters. Camp to Belong works to reunite Maine siblings separated by foster care, adoption, or other out-of-home care through a week of summer camp and shared experiences and memories. Its camp program offers special sibling-focused activities, events, and communication tools that help strengthen the sibling bond, which is critical to the lives of young people.
Signature events include campfires, a carnival, a pillow exchange, a birthday celebration and making scrapbooks with photos taken throughout the week. Siblings are provided a safe space to have meaningful conversations and process what they have been through together. Camp to Belong also empowers youth to advocate for themselves and their siblings. Camp to Belong Maine
Maine Women’s Lobby Education Fund
Destie Hohman Sprague, Executive Director of the Maine Women’s Lobby, shared its work to build gender justice in Maine through legislative advocacy and systems change. Its Education Fund helps Mainers develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to engage in feminist, anti-oppression-based public policy advocacy and civic life.
The Education Fund focuses on community building and community-based data and policy analysis in order to increase knowledge, skills, and opportunities for citizens to engage in public policy change. Core programs include: publishing the biennial Policy Roadmap for Economic Security, convening the biennial Maine Women’s Summit, leadership development, the annual Girls’ Day at the Statehouse (held every year since 1996), and education, information, and connection. Maine Women’s Lobby
South End Teen Center
Aimee Morris, Program Coordinator for the South End Teen Center, spoke about its dedication to empowering youth through a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment. Located at 5 Libby Court on the Waterville KVCAP Campus, the South End Teen Center is a satellite location of the Waterville Area Boys and Girls Club, proudly partnered with the Alfond Youth Center. It is open to all students in grades 6 through 12 from the Greater Waterville area.
The South End Teen Center’s goal is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. They provide exceptional programs, supportive mentorship, and enriching opportunities that foster personal growth, academic success, and community engagement in order to build brighter futures and stronger communities. South End Teen Center
After learning about the important work done in our community by all three nonprofits, each attendee had the difficult task of voting for one organization to be awarded the $10,000. While all were deserving, ultimately, Camp to Belong Maine was declared the 2025 $10,000 winner. Additional donations of $700 each were given to the Maine Women’s Lobby Education Fund and the South End Teen Center.
You can learn more about these invaluable nonprofits and how to support their organizations and work on their individual websites.
Serving the Greater Waterville Area since 1887, Waterville Area Women’s Club and its volunteer members annually support a variety of area charities and service agencies that benefit women and children in literacy, food security, mental health, and other concerns.
100 Women Who Give (2025)
Waterville Area Women's Club 