United in Purpose
Creating meaningful and lasting change in the Heart of Maine.
Our Mission
Building Better Communities.
At Heart of Maine United Way, we are the architects of meaningful change, uniting communities in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington counties for over 85 years.
Our vision is a community where every person, regardless of background, experiences stability. We tirelessly mobilize the caring power of people and communities to improve lives, dismantling systemic barriers and creating lasting impact.
As the largest private funder in our six-county area, we go beyond addressing immediate needs, investing in the long-term well-being of our communities. Join us in this movement, where every act of support, whether through donation, volunteering, or funding, fuels the transformation we envision – breaking down barriers, creating opportunities, and making a tangible difference in the lives of our neighbors.
Happening Now
News & Events.
Saturday, May 10: Support the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
Heart of Maine United Way is proud to support the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive—the largest single-day food...
Join United Way’s Week of Action
Heart of Maine United Way’s 2025 Week of Action is happening May 10 – May 16, and we need volunteers and...
Fuel Assistance Fund: Applications Open
Heart of Maine United Way's Fuel Assistance Fund provides funding to organizations that assist individuals...
Strategic Investment Grants – Applications Open
Heart of Maine United Way’s Strategic Investment Grants serve as the primary vehicle for funding programs...
Impactful Change
Focus Areas.
Basic Needs
Strengthening stability and dignity for Mainers. Working towards eradicating food insecurity, providing secure housing, fostering safety from violence, and creating economic opportunities for community members to achieve self-sufficiency.
Basic Needs
Strengthening stability and dignity for Mainers. Working towards eradicating food insecurity, providing secure housing, fostering safety from violence, and creating economic opportunities for community members to achieve self-sufficiency.
Early Childhood Development
Strengthening stability and dignity for Mainers. Working towards eradicating food insecurity, providing secure housing, fostering safety from violence, and creating economic opportunities for community members to achieve self-sufficiency.
Early Childhood Development
Building bright futures from the start. Focused on expanding access to quality early childcare, integrating parenting resources, ensuring enriching activities for children, and empowering providers and professionals with best practices in early childhood development.
Substance Use Disorder
Substance Use Disorder
Empowering recovery, nurturing resilience. Dedicated to enhancing access to comprehensive and affordable treatment resources, alongside robust prevention and youth programs to mitigate vulnerability to risky situations and foster a supportive environment for recovery from Substance Use Disorder.
Non-Profit Capacity & Innovation
Fueling nonprofit excellence. Fostering collaboration through shared spaces, creative problem-solving for community challenges, empowering nonprofit professionals through targeted training, connecting community members with meaningful volunteer opportunities, and developing highly-effective Board of Directors candidates.
Non-Profit Capacity & Innovation
Fueling nonprofit excellence. Fostering collaboration through shared spaces, creative problem-solving for community challenges, empowering nonprofit professionals through targeted training, connecting community members with meaningful volunteer opportunities, and developing highly-effective Board of Directors candidates.
Better Together
We are Here
For You.
United Way seeks to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world to advance the common good. United Way is the mission of choice for 1.5 million volunteers, 6.8 million donors, and 45,000 corporate partners in more than 1,100 communities worldwide. In our second century of service, we’re building resilient, equitable communities across the globe.
Get Involved
Creating Change
Improving Maine’s Communities.
At Heart of Maine United Way, we are dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of Mainers. From meeting basic needs and supporting recovery from Substance Use Disorder to ensuring quality early learning experiences, our impact resonates through every corner of Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington counties.
Through your support, we are making our communities better for all.
Dollars Raised
Each year Heart of Maine United Way raises funds through our annual campaign. In 2023, your support helped us meet this goal.
Volunteer Hours
We encourage adults to serve, youth to build character, families to bond, young professionals to excel as leaders, mature adults to stay engaged, and businesses to address community needs.
Calls to 2-1-1
2-1-1 Maine is a free contact center providing an easy, confidential way to link to information about thousands of health and human services around Maine.
Tax dollars returned
Through the Eastern Maine CA$H Coalition, we have been able to help nearly 5,000 people prepare their tax returns!
Lives Improved
Through our work to improve all of the lives in our region and make an impact on our community, Heart of Maine United Way has touched the lives of over 109,000 people this year!
LBS of food donated
More than 20% of Maine households do not have reliable and consistent access to food. United Way is committed to helping end hunger in the Heart of Maine!
Return on Investment
For every $1.00 donated Heart of Maine United Way is able to get an ROI of $4.50 for our community! We are able to do this through, Volunteer hours, Pounds of food raised, Grants leveraged and so much more!
Years
Since being established in 1937, United Way has evolved to improve the lives of people in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo and Washington Counties.
Impact Stories
Local Lives Changed.
Cornerstone Companies
Making Our Work Possible.
Heart of Maine United Way is thankful for the support we receive from our communities through workplace campaigns. Without these contributions, we would not be able to continue making the impact we do. Thank you to our cornerstone companies, who together raise more than half of our annual campaign funds.
Join Us
Building a United Future.
Be a part of something bigger. Join Heart of Maine United Way in our journey to create a community where compassion meets action. Together, we can build a united future where positive change reverberates through every corner of our region.
Give. Advocate. Volunteer. United in Purpose. Together, let’s make our vision a reality.
Heart of Maine United Way
Serving Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock, Waldo, Somerset, and Washington Counties
With an estimated population of 345,656 our region is filled with outdoor adventures, rural communities, bustling historic town centers, great business success stories, and its own unique set of community challenges and needs. Evolving our role to become what the community requires to respond to the most pressing issues, Heart of Maine United Way (HoMEUW) wants to engage more people, raise awareness of the issues our communities face, and activate our cross-sector network of partners. Join us in creating long-term, sustainable change together!