 Bangor, Maine, June 14th, 2024 – Darling’s Auto Group is proud to announce the donation of a van to the Courageous Steps Project. The van will be primarily used to support their Green House Village Child and Family Center in Milford.
“We have worked with Connor in a variety of capacities over the years and are continuously amazed by how much he and his team have grown over the last decade. We are proud to work with Courageous Steps to build awareness of and solutions to help support those with developmental challenges in our local communities,” Selden Wheeler, General Manager of Darling’s Honda Nissan Volvo said. The Courageous Steps Project is a non-profit organization started by Connor Archer in 2014. Their mission strives to support children and young adults of all abilities and to channel resources to efforts dedicated to enhancing their success throughout school. “The support of Darling’s Auto Group will be instrumental in our ability to provide opportunities in the community for young children with various abilities and challenges. I am thankful for the ongoing support of Darling’s Auto Group since day one. It has made a difference for thousands of children all across Maine” said Connor Archer, Founder & Chairman/CEO of The Courageous Steps Project, Inc. Those interested in learning more about the Courageous Steps Project, can visit: www.thecourageousstepsproject.org. Those looking to learn more about the Green House Village Child and Family Center, can visit www.greenhousevillage.org. Darling’s Auto Group, with roots in Maine’s automotive industry dating back to 1903, now serves communities from Ellsworth to Brunswick. Their commitment to giving back continues to grow through initiatives like this partnership. Learn more at www.darlings.com
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 2024 has been off to a fantastic start. Ten years ago, I just began planning our inaugural walk-run at Old Town High School's Victory Field. That first year, we raised $3,700 to support local programs that supported me. Since then, we launched a back to school initiative, scholarship fund, a wishlist initiative, and a preschool that is continuing to touch the lives of thousands of children and young adults in our region. And this Spring, we will be celebrating 11 years of our walk-run on Sunday May 19th at Old Town High School's Victory Field.
As we move into the next decade of our growth, our plan encompasses strategic growth. Specifically, we are finding new partners to help us expand programming while being efficient and sustainable in this expansion. From community organizations to corporate partners, we are forming unique partnerships that will take our mission and vision to a whole new level. Those partnerships so far include working with Occupational Therapy students at Husson University to support educator/specialist growth and retention. In addition, we are excited to start a unique partnership with Maine Parent Federation, our state's federally-funded parent organization, to showcase stories and spread information to more families in our state and beyond. This partnership will be beneficial on so many fronts. In addition, 2024 is full of continued growth of our events and finding new ways we can engage with our communities all around Maine through our current events. Our programming is also poised to grow and expand this Spring. We will be making announcements late Winter, early Spring to grow our program as part of our 5 year strategic plan which outlines our growth plans as an organization. An update on that plan will occur sometime this Spring. We continue to be thankful for the generous supporters we have. We can always use more donors, and we've now made it easier to do that with a new up-to-date donor feature that allows you to make a donation quickly and efficiently on your mobile device or desktop computer. When making a donation, we encourage you to check out our offerings and programs. In addition, your feedback allows us to look at new ways we can run programs as well.  Today, we kicked off a new partnership with the Husson University Occupational Therapy program that will give students experience working with our children and families at the Green House Village Preschool. We are excited to see where this partnership will go in the coming months and years. Chairman/CEO Connor Archer went in to speak with the class today and share his experiences and the history about the program.
 Recently, Annie Roach, one of our scholarship recipients from Old Town High School from last year shared her story with us. Here's what Annie had to say:
. I am greatly enjoying my time at Bates College, and have found ways to become involved with the community through volunteering with children in Lewiston schools. Thank you again for providing this generous scholarship, I am very grateful for the help it has provided me in furthering my education. . We are proud to support great young adults like Annie who are already making a difference in this world! . Courageous Steps will be making an announcement on our scholarship fund this Friday January 26th. Stay tuned and help us spread the word when the time comes to do so! Courageous Steps' Green House Village Preschool launches Give40 Alumni Campaign to Grow Programming1/10/2023  Milford, ME — The Courageous Steps Project’s Green House Village Preschool is excited to announce the launching of the Alumni Give40 campaign to grow the Green House programming. In addition, the program this year celebrates an incredible milestone of 40 years since its’ opening in 1983.
The Give40 campaign will specifically build the Green House Village Alumni Fund to support future scholarship programs, educational enrichment opportunities for students inside and outside of school, and support future expansion of programming. “Our campaign is centered around future expansion and growth” says founder & Chairman/CEO Connor J. Archer. Archer says that steps have already been taken to address future upgrades in equipment and facilities including the addition of new technology, learning equipment, and systems that will enable our staff to continue supporting our children/students at the highest level. The campaign officially has launched and runs through the end of this year. Throughout the year, the showcasing of stories will take place to highlight some of the families and individuals who have been impacted by the great work of the Green House over the years. “Our dedication and commitment to sharing the stories of our Alumni and those who have been touched by the program is also at the forefront of this campaign” added Archer. You can donate online via the program’s website: https://give.thecourageousstepsproject.org/campaign/green-house-alumni-give-40-campaign/c437746. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, please contact [email protected]. The Courageous Steps Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that strives to to help children and young adults with various abilities and challenges all across the Eastern Maine region. If you are interested in getting involved in our efforts, please email founder & Chairman/CEO Connor Archer at: [email protected].  Hello Courageous Steps Supporters!
As we near the end of 2022, it is a pleasure to be updating all our supporters, volunteers, employees, and board members who have invested their time and resources into our growing organization. 2022 has been a great year full of exciting growth that has set the stage for a huge upcoming year. In 2022, we made a commitment to continue expanding our programming and community outreach efforts in new ways. I am pleased to say, we have taken major steps forward on both fronts and will continue those efforts in 2023 in major ways. Courageous Steps has also maintained its commitment to serving young children through its early childhood program, the Green House Village Preschool, while taking steps to build the capacity of the program for the future which includes initiating special projects, and building our capacity to better serve our current children and their families. In addition, Courageous Steps was able to:
This upcoming year will present many new opportunities and challenges, with storytelling in the forefront. We plan to share stories of families and individuals who have achieved great things, with the focus on raising awareness of resources out there for all. To support this, we will be revamping our systems to better handle our long term growth for all community programs. In January, we will be announcing new projects and campaigns to move our organization in this direction that will touch the lives of so many children and young adults. Some of these projects / campaigns will take months, while others will take years. But one constant will remain the same. We will continue to respond to needs in the best interest of those we serve. It is shaping out to be an exciting year full of memories. With your support and generosity, we can take multiple steps forward to ensure that our mission and vision continue impacting the lives of so many. With Profound Appreciation, Connor J. Archer  The Courageous Steps Project recently received a gift of $8,000 from Versant Power to support the Green House Village Preschool's Technology and Equipment expansion project.
This is just the latest contribution that has come in to support the largest program under the organization. Founder & Chairman/CEO Connor Archer wants so sincerely thank the Versant Power team for their generosity and support.  The Courageous Steps Project recently was awarded a $7500 grant from the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation to support the upgrade of technology and equipment at the Green House Village Preschool. This will have a major impact on our delivery of programming for the future!
. On Wednesday December 14th, our Founder & Chairman/CEO Connor Archer and board treasurer Steve Villett were presented with the award with BSB team members at the Bangor Savings Bank headquarters at the Bangor Waterfront. . We are so appreciative of the continued support by many. It's been an exciting time for our organization and we cannot be more thankful for the ongoing support!  On Monday December 5th, The Courageous Steps Project received a very generous gift of over $15,000 from 100 Neighbors Who Care, to support our preschool and community outreach programs all over the Eastern Maine region.
We are truly thankful for this amazing gift….it will have a lasting impact on our mission and vision into 2023! To learn more about this great organization, visit: https://100neighbors.org.  Recently, we had the pleasure of partnering with Marriott TownPlace Suites and Bangor Savings Bank to support Children's Miracle Network through their Floats 4 Kids event. Earlier this month, our Green House Village Preschool children (and their families) got these delicious treats to kickoff the school year. And recently, our founder & Chairman/CEO Connor Archer joined the staff at Bangor Savings Bank in Old Town to grab delicious treats of their own.
Since 1983, Marriott International has been serving up miracles for kids and their families who receive care at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in the United States and Canada, including Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Employees and guests raise and donate these funds through various events, including a summertime favorite, root beer floats. Why root beer floats? Marriott’s “roots” started when JW and Alice Marriott opened a Hot Shoppe in 1927. We are pleased to have great community partners to do these activities/events giving back to kids! |
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The Courageous Steps Project, Inc. is a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving Maine. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.