Visit Kevin and the STRIVE Team at Patriot Subaru (769 Portland Rd, Saco) to have Kevin lower his donation bucket!
We also have a number of great raffles and prize packs for our donors!
Raffle Prizes:
2 Tickets to the New England Patriots
1pm, Sunday October 27th vs. NY Jets
$1000 Gift Card to Irving Oil
Apple iPad
Apple Airpods Max
Donations of $100 or more also receive a prize pack made possible by our sponsors! The Prize Pack includes:
1 GA ticket to the Portland Sea Dogs (2025 season)
1 beverage from Aroma Joe's
1 6 in. sub from Subway
1 Congdon's Doughnut coin (for our first 100 donors)
Join in on the fun by participating in our Kevin on the Roof theme days! You never know- you could win a prize for coming to Patriot Subaru in the best outfit or with the best prop! We'll also be having a few special BBQ events on Tuesday (09/03) from 5-7pm and Saturday (09/07) from 12-1pm and 5-7pm!
ID: Calendar for Kevin on the Roof theme days. The calendar is made up of colorful boxes (one for each day). There are also the Patriot Subaru and STRIVE logos in the upper corners.
Thank you to this year's Kevin on the Roof Sponsors!
ID: Logos for Keivn on the Roof sponsors
STRIVE U
STRIVE U students had a wonderful August! They got the opportunity to attend a Sea Dogs baseball game, visit SMCC, host the Alumni for an outdoor movie, and explore Portland more! We are gearing up for classes to start at SMCC and are looking forward to a great fall semester!
ID: 3 STRIVE U students sitting in the stands at a Sea Dogs game.
ID: STRIVE U students sitting in a row of white chairs. They are looking at the camera and smiling. There is a brick building behind them.
ID: 2 STRIVE U student standing in the kitchen holding a try with homemade pizza.
STRIVE U is a comprehensive two-year residential, post-secondary educational opportunity for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To learn more about the program, schedule a tour, or get an application, please contact admissions@pslstrive.org or call (207) 774.6278.
TOPS wrapped up our Extended School Year on 8/8 with a camp out day. Students enjoyed celebrating the end of ESY by making s'mores, playing cornhole, building tents and chatting with peers. That evening, we hosted our third TOPS alumni reunion with fifteen alumni in attendance. Alumni played outdoor games, taste tested some new seltzer waters and reminisced with their former classmates while looking through the photo station. Students have been on a well-deserved break before the new school year begins. We are excited to kick off the 2024-2025 school year next week on 8/29 with nine students coming back for day 1 and the rest to follow after Labor Day Weekend.
ID: TOPS students and staff outside setting up a tent
ID: 2 TOPS students toasting marshmallows on a mini grill
ID: Group picture of TOPS students sitting on picnic tables and smiling. There are two blue umbrellas and trees in the background.
TOPS (Transition Outcomes Program for Students) provides transition programming for high school students from area school districts who are typically 18 years and older. For more information, please contact Ryanne Desjardins at rdesjardins@pslstrive.org or by phone at 207-879-0847.
ID: Image of a laptop which lists upcoming terms. There is also a QR code to scan for available scholarships. The STRIVE WorldWIDE logo is in the top corner.
ID: Flyer with information about upcoming STRIVE WorldWIDE courses and programming for high school students. The STRIVE WorldWIDE logo is in the top corner and there is an image of a laptop in the middle of the flyer.
ID: Colorful schedule of SWW courses through the end of the year. The top of the schedule has the SWW logo as well as 3 cartoon images of a certificate, a handheld video games, and a person with a breifcase and heart.
STRIVE WorldWIDE is STRIVE's online program that teaching independent living skills. For more information about STRIVE WorldWIDE, contact Courtney Veinotte at cveinotte@pslstrive.org or call 207-712-0048.
This month at Bayside we are making the most of the summer rays as we feel a whisper crisp air of Autumn seeping into the breeze.
We wrapped up the tail end of last month with an exciting and informative cruise out on Casco Bay, followed by lunch and crabbing with SMCC! We are continuing to grasp the nice weather with walks through the Farmers Market in Deering Oaks Park, navigating our way through the tourist crowds of the Old Port, and some golfing at Pleasant Hill Driving Range.
There’s a transformation happening here, with keen eyes noticing items progressively disappearing as they are being packed up in anticipation of our move to Yarmouth at the end of September!
ID: Bayside participants on a wooden pier. They are looking into buckets.
ID: Bayside participant sitting on a boat. The ocean and an old fort are in the background.
For more information on Bayside, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
WAVES: At the end of every summer, WAVES likes to celebrate all of fun we have had by enjoying an end of summer BBQ! This month we rented a spot at Crescent Beach State Park. The weather was beautiful! We played games, socialized with friends, and enjoyed some delicious hot dogs and hamburgers. It was fun to be outside and to explore the park and the beach. We can't wait to go back next year!
ACTIVE: This month we invited Disability Rights Maine to come and talk with us about self-advocacy. We talked about knowing our rights and how we can self-advocate for ourselves in different ways. Our session was so much fun, and we even got to play some interactive games! We learned the slogan "Nothing about us without us!" Thank you to Disability Rights Maine for the empowering and educational class!
ID: WAVES participants sitting at a picnic table and eating lunch. There are trees and blue sky in the background.
ID: ACTIVE participants with members of Disability Rights Maine.
For more information on ACTIVE or WAVES, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
The last month at STRIVE Studios has been a fun one! Participants have been working on varying projects from ceramic bobbleheads and sculptures to painted animal portraits. Our photography group is in the planning stages of their Rock n’ Roll inspired photoshoot, and Mia from the Center for Maine Contemporary Art even helped us create mini vinyl records and album sleeves out of paper! We are excited to unload the kiln and begin the next month’s round of projects.
ID: Painted artwork from a STRIVE Studios participant.
ID: STRIVE Studios participant sitting at table with paper and scissors. He is looking up something on his phone.
For more information on STRIVE Studios, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
There is no new class in September, as we are continuing our Healthy Relationship series!
Mark your calendars for our upcoming topics: Internet Safety and Communication & Social Skills! Do you have a topic you're interested in learning more about? Let us know!
ID: blue background with yellow splashes of paint. Program information is on a lined piece of paper in the middle and there are images of a yellow notebook, yellow paperclip, and yellow magnifying glass.
The Wednesday Night Educational Series is held every Wednesday in person for participants 15-24 years old. Series are between 4 and 8 weeks and topics vary from month to month! The price per series is $30-$40, depending on the series' length. For more information or for your link to join class, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
Camp STRIVE closed out another incredible summer last week! August was another great month as we visited with animal friends at Smiling Hill Farm and Maine Wildlife Park, whipped up delicious treats in the kitchen, visited L.L. Bean in Freeport and welcomed students from UNE to camp! Thanks to everyone who made this summer so fun and special! We'll see you during school vacations!
ID: six campers on and around the giant LL Bean boot.
ID: two cmapers and one volunteer sitting at a table and making bracelets
ID: seven campers and one counselor standing in front of a wooden tractor.
Camp STRIVE is a day-camp experience for campers between the ages of 11-24. Camp STRIVE is held every school vacation (Winter, February, and April) as well as for the full summer. For more information about Camp STRIVE, contact Alex Woodhouse at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
Tweens
Tweens ended the summer with lots of fun activities! A favorite was pickleball, on our newly painted STRIVE pickleball courts!
ID: Tween hitting a ball in the air with a pickleball racket
ID: Tween holding a pickleball racket and smiling
September is shaping up to be another great month in Tweens! Check out the flyer below for some fun activities!
ID: tan background with red, orange, yellow, and green leaf borders along the bottom and top
Tweens is a safe and fun environment to build new friendships and learn new skills for folks 11-14 years old. We run every Friday from 3:30-5:30pm. We have a scheduled activity each week, with free time built in to maximize socialization. For more information about STRIVE Tweens, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
STRIVE Night has so much during the month of August! We had our own STRIVE Olympic Games, wore pink for Barbie Night, and brought out our favorite jerseys for baseball night! Thanks to our Advisory Board for planning such fun theme nights!
ID: two participants wearing pink and smiling
ID: partcipant wearing a pink shirt and headphones standing in a pink box that says 'barbie'
ID: two participants wearing black and pink
STRIVE Night has another fun month coming up in September! One of the highlights will definitely be Super STRIVE Night, which is celebrating 25 years of STRIVE! There is more information about Super STRIVE Night under the Events sections!
ID: white background with yellow, orange, purple, and green flowers in the bottom left and top right. Program information is in the center.
Friday Nights at STRIVE, fondly referred to as "STRIVE Night," is a relaxed but fun evening of socialization for 15-24 year olds. New members are always welcome, and your first night is free! STRIVE Night is Friday from 6-9pm, with at least one special "theme" night happening each month. For more information, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
ID: three participants sitting on a couch, smiling
ID: two participants standing next to each other and smiling
STRIVE 25 is looking forward to another fun social! In September, we'll meet on Thursday the 5th! Come join us for delicious food, competitive bingo, and great conversation with friends! Save the date for our following social as well - on October 3rd!
ID: white background with a square border of orange, pink, blue, and red flowers. Program informaton is in middle.
STRIVE 25 is a social event for folks 25 and older. It currently runs in-person on the first Thursday of every month from 6-8pm For more information on STRIVE 25, contact Whitney at wwildes@pslstrive.org or Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org!
Join us for another STRIVE Senior Social, Tuesday, September 3rd from
3-4:30pm!
ID: red background with the image of a record in the top center. There is the PSL Services STRIVE logo in the top right. There are 3 cartoon images in the center, one of a take-out coffee up, one of 3 playing cards, and one of a muffin.
STRIVE's Senior Social is a social event for individuals 55 and up. It takes place in-person on the first Tuesday of every month from 3-4:30pm. For more information on STRIVE Senior Social, contact Abby at abohlen@pslstrive.org!
Save the date for upcoming STRIVE fundraisers and events!
STRIVE Turns 25!
ID: the original STRIVE logo is joined by a large 25 with confetti and star balloons.
We hope you enjoyed our summer 25th anniversary events as much as we did! We have one more celebration- our Super STRIVE Night- coming up this month!
Friday, September 20th, 6-9pm: Super STRIVE Night at STRIVE
Celebrating where it all began, we’ll be having “super” STRIVE night full of dancing, music, food, ice cream and more! This special STRIVE Night will be open to all ages. More info to come as we get closer to the event!
ID: Blue flyer with 7 images of participants at STRIVE Night.
We also plan to present our annual awards and induct new members into our Volunteer Hall of Fame at this fall’s auction.
If you are interested in any of the events mentioned here, or have questions, reach out to STRIVE Program Director, Whitney, at wwildes@pslstrive.org. We hope to celebrate with you! 😊
STRIVE's Annual Auction
Save the date for STRIVE's Annual Auction! This year's event will be in a hybrid event again! We will have a live, in-person event on Thursday, November 14th at the Italian Heritage Center in Portland! Our live event will feature bidding on live items, our fund-a-need, participant speeches, games and activities, and more! Online bidding on our silent auction items will be open from Thursday, November 14th-21st.
It's not too early to get involved! Are you or your business interested in sponsoring the auction, or do you have something to donate? Reach out to STRIVE Program Director, Whitney Wildes, at wwildes@pslstrive.org for more information!
STRIVE Shout Outs
Thank you to our August Donors!
Barry Dunlap - In Honor of Caleb Dunlap
Thomas Hood
Daniel and Lisa Randall- In Memory of George Foley
Margaret and James Cloutier- In Memory of George Foley
Mary Katherine Maloney
Anne Coughlan - In Memory of George Foley
Robin Coyne
Susan Sample-Brown- In Memory of Susan Aleschus
Debra Johnson- In Memory of Susan Aleschus
Owen and Patricia Colfer- In Memory of Susan Aleschus
Jenessa Nappi- In Memory of George Foley
Playgroup- In Memory of George Foley
Lynda and John Wilson- In Memory of George Foley
Eleanor Lucarini- In Memory of George Foley
Janet Scala- In Memory of George Foley
Sarah Griffiths
Bruce Water- In Honor of Dave Aceto and Arcadia Employees
Kimberly Johnson
Roberta O’Brion
Kathleen Fitzpatrick- In Memory of Susan Aleschus
ID: STRIVE participant smiling and holding a colorful sign that says "thank you". Games in the STRIVE Teen Center are behind him.
Thank you for your generous support of STRIVE!
With your support, we are able to continue our work each and every day.
Staff Spotlight
ID: photo of Kate wearing a maroon sweatshirt, smiling in front of boats. trees, and water.
Meet Kate! Kate is starting her year of service with STRIVE as a Jesuit Volunteer! Kate says, "I'm super excited to get to know all the people that make STRIVE what it is, participate in the events, and build connections here. I've already had so much fun meeting people this week and had a blast at the most recent STRIVE night. I can't wait to see what the year has in store!" Thanks, Kate, we're excited to have you with us for the year!
Member Spotlight
Meet Jessica! Jessica attends STRIVE Night and has taken courses with STRIVE WorldWIDE. Her favorite part about coming to STRIVE is "doing karaoke!" Thanks, Jessica!
ID: photo of Jessica. She is sitting at a table and smiling
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy birthday to our STRIVE Members with a birthday in September!
ID: Colorful happy birthday candles on a chocolate cake
Olivia Frankl
Jessi McCalmon
Sarah Bean
Myles Frederick
Dominic Arsenault
Sierra Tuttle
Sam Newcomb
Sam Keiter
Zach Sanborn
Mary Greslick
Jackson Bowie Haskell
Cameran Seale
Michael Johnson
Abby Pare
Dianna Oliver
General Announcements
Join Our Team!
We're Hiring!
ID: Hand with marker writing We Are HiringI
Are you, or someone you know in the market for a new job?
We're hiring for a number of positions!
We have full time, part time, and per diem opportunities available- including weekdays, evenings, and weekends!
We are also offering a $1,750 sign on bonus (after 30 days of successful employment) plus an additional $250 bonus for those that are already DSP, MHRT, or CRMA certified!
ID: Image of business partners discussing at a meeting table
Did you know we host a free monthly networking group for our local community? The STRIVE Business to Business Networking Group is just one way we work to be a mutually beneficial partner, with the hope of expanding our partnerships with local businesses.
We are looking to grow! The group meets virtually on the last Wednesday the month at 12pm . Contact Pete or Whitney to find out more about joining us this month!
Shop STRIVE!
We have an online store to purchase all your STRIVE swag needs! Take a look at all the shop has to offer! There are so many items to choose from AND you can customize any item by choosing the color and STRIVE logo that you want. Happy shopping!
ID: white background with two rows of swag. Top row from left to right is a gray backpack with the STRIVE WorldWIDE logo, a black mug with the STRIVECast logo, a white t-shirt with the STRIVE logo, and a blue baseball hat with a STRIVE U logo. Bottom row from left to right is a blue tote bag with a PSL Services/STRIVE logo, a gray sweatshirt with a STRIVE U logo, and a white travel mug with a STRIVE logo.
Listen to the STRIVECast
ID: STRIVECast flyer with images of our two hosts and sound and video engineer.
The STRIVECast is a podcast brought to you by the team at PSL Services/STRIVE in South Portland, Maine — bringing you engaging, hilarious, and thoughtful conversation through one interview week by week. Co-Hosted by two young men with Down Syndrome, the STRIVECast aims to change the voices we typically hear on the radio and through podcasts, as well as to provide meaningful dialogues with all sorts of public figures in our world. We are very proud to be both hosted, produced AND edited by people with disabilities! Like what you hear? Shoot us an email at strivecast@pslstrive.org!
Have questions or comments about any of our programs and events?
Email info@pslstrive.org to update your address or speak to a STRIVE staff member!
New members: You will be asked to complete an updated information form upon your arrival to Tweens, STRIVE Night or STRIVE 25. Want to get a head start? Visit https://www.pslstrive.org/membershipform to submit your membership form today!
.png?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=KOTR%20sponsors%20(1).png)
-1.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=(NV%20DBS%20smores)-1.jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=(1st%20session%20ESY%20group%20photo).jpeg)
.png?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=STRIVE%20WorldWIDE%20High%20School%20Section%20(1).png)
.png?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=auction%20psl%20website%20banner%202024%20(1).png)
%20(Instagram%20Post%20(Square)).png?upscale=true&width=720&upscale=true&name=Copy%20of%20STRIVE%20Cast%20flyer%20(4%20%C3%97%206%20in)%20(Instagram%20Post%20(Square)).png)
