We are truly grateful to everyone who makes STRIVE such a wonderful place to be every single day! Here's to a year filled with growth, learning, independence, fun, and so much more in 2025!
ID: Flyer with a blue background and cartoon people at the top. The flyer lists volunteer opportunities at STRIVE along with contact information.
Is one of your New Year's resolutions to be more active in your community? Why not volunteer with STRIVE in 2025! We have plenty of opportunities for you to get involved, whether it's lending a hand in one of our programs, helping out at an event, or joining one of our committees. We're always excited to welcome new faces to the STRIVE family. Below are just a few ideas, but we'd love to hear your suggestions on how you'd like to contribute!
Join us at one of our socials! We're always on the lookout for volunteers to join us at Tweens, STRIVE Night, and STRIVE 25! Spend some quality time with our participants in a fun and safe atmosphere. Play games, sing karaoke, help out in the kitchen, and more!
Share your expertise by teaching a class! Are you knowledgeable in a particular area? We love having guest speakers for our Wednesday Night Educational Class! Topics cover a wide range of independent living skills. We also welcome guests to teach art lessons in our STRIVE Studios program!
Become part of a committee! Help us organize some of our biggest events of the year or join our monthly networking group!
Lend a hand at a fundraiser! We always appreciate extra help at our major events like STRIVE Rocks, STRIVE for 5: Foden Road 5K, and our annual auction.
Interested in volunteering? Reach out to STRIVE Program Director, Whitney, at wwildes@pslstrive.org, to get involved!
PROGRAMS
STRIVE U
December went by fast at STRIVE U! This month, we explored two wonderful spots: Freeport, Maine and the Victoria Mansion. Students enjoyed taking the bus to Freeport. The residents were separated into two different groups. One group explored the iconic LL Bean campus and saw their Northern Lights Display. The other group explored a local trail system on the outskirts of town. The residents also got to visit the Victoria Mansion, a historic landmark in Portland! They got to see the mid-19th-century mansion decorated for Christmas! Students ended the month by taking in a Maine Mariners Hockey Game! We are looking forward to the New Year and everything it has in store!
ID: STRIVE U students at the Victoria Mansion. They are standing and smiling. There is a window behind them with buildings and snow.
ID: STRIVE U students outside on a trail. There are trees surrounding them and leaves on the ground.
ID: STRIVE U students touring the Victoria Mansion. There is a Christmas tree in the background and colored lights.
ID: STRIVE U students in a life-sized LLBean snowglobe.
ID: 2 STRIVE U students sitting at a firepit in downtown Portland. They are makiny smores and are smiling.
STRIVE U is hosting a social on Saturday, January 11th and you're invited to our residential campus from 10am-1pm! This is a great opportunity to come check our STRIVE U and tour campus, ask questions, and chat with current students! Applications will also be available for the class of 2027!
ID: light blue background with two snowmen in the bottom corners. Along the bottom are snow banks and tress. Along the top are blue branches and leaves.
Applications for the STRIVE U class of 2027 are now available! Please reach out to admissions@pslstrive.org with any questions or if you want to schedule a tour!
ID: blue background with the STRIVE U logo in the bottom right
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.
The month of December flew by for TOPS students! Students were very busy practicing job application skills and interviewing for their job sites here at TOPS, which includes a variety of tasks such as cleaning, vacuuming, doing dishes, and doing laundry. Students learned how to fill out job applications, practiced interviewing for the job they wanted, and started working at their new job position. Students have also learned more about budgeting, looking at a variety of careers they might want, what their income would be and what their costs of living would be. They will continue to complete this activity this month, as they will continue to practice these skills in hands-on ways too.
TOPS students also learned about nutrition, discovering how much sugar and salt are in some popular foods and drinks that they might normally choose. Students also discovered some new ways to add spice and flavor to food without using salt.
Additionally students learned about different forms of communication, such as writing holiday cards, mailing letters at the post office and communicating important messages through email.
Other December activities included lots of cooking and planning for our holiday party, shopping, searching and comparing prices on various holiday needs at different local stores, and learning how to gift wrap.
ID: TOPS student using the postage machine. There are various office supplies behind him.
ID: TOPS student mailing a card at the post office.
ID: TOPS student using a stand up mixer.
ID:TOPS students shopping at Walmart.
ID: Group of TOPS students on the stairs at the post office.
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: Flyer with information about the January SWW term. The SWW logo is in the top corner.
ID: Information about the SWW social. There is a large bow in the middle of the flyer.
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 has been quite eventful! We've been eagerly anticipating the holidays as we get into the spirit by decorating the space, setting up our tree, and sipping hot cocoa after a chilly walk around the neighborhood.
We ventured up to Freeport to explore everything L.L.Bean has to offer for the holidays. We tested our curling skills, posed in a giant snowglobe, and our favorite part- warmed up on the heated benches! We also had the ultimate party. AJ's graduations and our holiday celebration were combined to make one epic day! We planned and prepared a feast featuring chicken wings, mini meatball subs, chips and dips, veggies, cheeseburger sliders, cookies, and of course, AJ's graduation cake!
Congratulations, AJ! We will miss you here at Bayside but wish you the best as you continue at ACTIVE and in whatever path life takes you!
ID: Bayside participants on a walk next to a body of water. One person is wheeling a pink bag behind them.
ID: STRIVE Bayside participants in a life sized LLBean snow globe.
ID: STRIVE Bayside participants and staff at a decorated table for their holiday party.
ID: STRIVE Bayside staff and participants standing together and smiling.
For more information on Bayside, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
ACTIVE: To wrap up December, we celebrated the month and the incoming new year with our annual holiday party! We danced, made ornaments, shared a delicious meal, and opened up all of our Secret Santa gifts! We even got to see our Music Therapist, Robby, who led some musical activities and games for us. We had so much fun reflecting back on our year and look forward to all of the fun and adventure that the new year brings!
WAVES: This month we visited the Portland Stage to see their production of "The Snow Queen". This story, written by Hans Christian Anderson, follows Gerta, a young girl on a wild adventure to find her best friend Kai. The story, set, and costumes were amazing, and we had so much fun! The following day, we joined our friends in ACTIVE for our annual holiday party! It has been a fun-filled month!
ID: WAVES participant sitting at a table. He has a plate of food in front of him. He is wearing a Santa hat and is smiling.
ID: WAVES participant standing in front of a sign for The Snow Queen
ID: Participants and staff doing activities at the holiday party
For more information on ACTIVE or WAVES, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
We would like to give a big thank you to all who attended our Holiday Art Show at STRIVE Studios! The event was a tremendous success, and it was a privilege to be able to share our creativity with the community. Between our art show preparations, we’ve been working on winter-themed artwork in ceramics, photography, painting, and other media. We can’t wait to see what projects we develop in 2025!
ID: Participant smiling and holding a piece of art they made. The are standing in front of a wall with "STRIVE Studios" written above them and a whiteboard full of homemade magnets.
ID: Some of the art displayed on the walls at the STRIVE Studios art show
For more information on STRIVE Studios, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
We have a new series starting on January 8th! This series will run for eight weeks and will focus on communication and social skills. Students will learn about different ways to communicate, teamwork, active listening, formal vs informal communication, understanding social cues, and more! Students must register prior to the first class.
ID: white and blue background with two speech bubbles in the bottom left. On the right is an image of two people talking.
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-$50, depending on the series' length. For more information or for your link to join class, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
We had a great winter break Camp STRIVE! We visited LL Bean, did crafts and science experiments at STRIVE, went bowling, caught a planetarium show, cheered on our Maine Mariners, made cookies for our friends at Patriot Subaru, and had fun hanging out with each other!
As a reminder, Camp STRIVE runs during school vacations and for the full summer! Our next camp will be during February break, 2/18/25-2/21/25!
ID: one camper standing and one camper sitting in a chair in the background
ID: two campers sitting at a wooden table playing chess
ID: two campers playing giant shuffleboard outside
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 closed out 2024 with some great socials! We decorated cookies, made holiday, played some games in our favorite ugly sweaters, and learned some ASL! Thanks to everyone who joined us this year!
ID: Tween mixing red food coloring with frosting in a bowl
ID: Tweens and staff sitting at a table with bowls of frosting
ID: Tween eating a cookie
We have an exciting new month of Tweens activities planned to kick off 2025! Tweens is a FREE program for ages 11-14 and meets every Friday from 3:30-5:30. We hope you'll join us this month for some crafts, magic, Zumba, board games, and more!
ID: blue background with gold fireworks in all corners. There are also gold stars hanging in the bottom left.
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.
We celebrated a few special events in December! On Friday, December 6th we celebrated 25 years of STRIVE! It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since the first STRIVE Night and we're so grateful who everyone who has join us over the years. Here's to the next 25!
ID: two participants standing with their arms around each other. One is holding a microphone
ID: participant standing and smiling
ID: two participants standing with their arms on each others shoulders
On January 17th STRIVE Night will be hosting our SnowBall formal! We hope to see you there!
ID: black background with gold, silver, and bronze confetti on the top and bottom. There is a firework on the middle right side.
Friday Night 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.
Our Ugly Sweater party was great! Thanks to everyone that came dressed for the occasion!
ID: two participants standing next to each other. Participant on the left is wearing a green holiday sweater and participant on the right is wearing a red Santa hat
ID: seven participants wearing holiday attire, smithing and standing next to each other
ID: two participants standing next to each other. Participant on the left is wearing a red plaid sweater and participant on the right is wearing a green sweater
Our first get together of 2025 is Thursday, January 2nd! As a reminder, STRIVE 25 is always the first Thursday of the month from 6-8pm and dinner is included!
Also, save the date for our February STRIVE 25 - February 6th! We will be electing our new advisory board during this social!
ID: dark blue background with gold fireworks. In the center is a white arch with program information.
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!
Our next senior social is Tuesday, January 7th! We hope to see you there!
ID: light blue flyer with information about the January Senior Social. In the center is a blue mug, three snowflakes, candy cane, and red mitten
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!
This year, STRIVE has been selected as one of the beneficiaries of Patriot Subaru's Share the Love event! From now until January 2nd, for each new sold or leased vehicle, Subaru will donate $250 to a local charity (STRIVE is one of them!) and Patriot Subaru will donate a minimum of $75. Find out more HERE! Thank you to Patriot Subaru for all you to for STRIVE and the rest of our communities!
ID: A photo form this year's Kevin on the Roof event. It has STRIVE staff, Patriot staff and customers standing in front of the Patriot Subary building. They are waving and smiling. The bottom of the image has the Share the Love logo which includes a hand with a heart and snowflakes.
3 Points for STRIVE
Cheer on your favorite basketball team while supporting STRIVE at the same time! The Maine Celtics and Hammond Lumber Company are teaming up again for 3-Points for STRIVE! For every 3-Pointer made at home, Hammond Lumber will donate $50 to STRIVE. Make your own pledge today! Thank you to Hammond Lumber and the Maine Celtics for supporting STRIVE again this winter!
ID: Photo of a basketball hoop and basketball. There's also the logos for STRIVE, Maine Celtics, and Hammond Lumber Company.
STRIVE Shout Outs
Thank you to our December Donors!
Elizabeth Allaben and Matthew Chambers- In Honor of Lucas Houk
Gregory and Lorraine Cyr
Frederic and Doreen Thompson
Nancy Rallis
Barry Dunlap- In Honor of Caleb Dunlap
Lynn Spadinger
Arthur Batson
Irene and Jeffrey Oldfield
Saco & Biddeford Savings- In Honor of Jay Tilley
Erica Schwarz
United Insurance
Sheila Advani- In Honor of Maya Adavani
Susan Samberg
Janice Keeley
Roberta O’Brion
David Gacetta
Ranjiv and Tari Advani
Samantha Leavitt
Shari Chaney
Susan Bouton- In Memory of Sally Bouton
Shoshana Bannett
Laurie Cavanaugh
Patricia Mcleod
Mr. and Mrs. James Polewaczyk
The Honorable Olympia J. Snowe and Honorable John R. McKernan
Samantha Leavitt
Lisa Noonan
Thomasine Piche- In Honor of Jennifer McKinnon
Michelle Sirois
Dr. Jeff Saffer
Steven and Lisa Levesque
Amy and Jeremy Lombardo
Alton Benson- In Memory of Pamela Benson
Michele Giroux
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 Bill, standing with the Grand Canyon in the background.
Meet Bill! Bill works in our community supports program and in our home support program! Bill's favorite part of working at STRIVE is "participating in and helping facilitate the activities such as disc golf, music therapy, and dance therapy. " Thanks, Bill, we're grateful to have you!
Member Spotlight
Meet Nicholas, one of our TOPS students! Nicholas has demonstrated a huge improvement from the beginning of the year to now in the area of attendance. He is very dependable and responsible and will volunteer to help with tasks. He has become more independent in his cooking skills for his weekly meals. He has a great sense of humor, often cracking jokes and cheering up his peers. He often follows and exceeds TOPS program expectations during activities. Also, he has a positive attitude, encouraging his peers to pay attention during Morning Metting, and enjoys being a helpful role-model at TOPS. When asked what Nicholas likes about TOPS, he replied, "I like the hard work that I get here. I get help when I need it. I like to see my friends and meet new people. I enjoy volunteering." Congrats to Nicholas! We enjoy having you as a student here at TOPS!
ID: photo of Nicholas - he is standing in front of a red brick wall
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy birthday to our STRIVE Members with a birthday in January!
ID: Colorful happy birthday candles on a chocolate cake
Emily Murray
Owen Wolterbeck
Jordan Young
Sumner Ellis
Peter Tarling
Leeann Brionez
Marshall Noyes
Nicholas Veilleux
Lisa DeFreitas
Timothy Kerr
Charlie Gilbert
Abby Healy
Gary Burton
Grayson Randall
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 $1,500 sign on bonus (after 60 days of successful employment and completed training) 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://pslstrive.org/strive-membership-form to submit your membership form today!
%20(Instagram%20Post)%20(1).png?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=STRIVE%20U%20Applications%20(1920%20%C3%97%201080%20px)%20(Instagram%20Post)%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)
