Chief Bob MacKenzie of the Kennebunk Police Department recently announced that Kennebunk Rotary Club and Community Strong, Character Strong, Children Strong will continue to make a difference in children’s lives.

Community Strong, Character Strong, Children Strong supports children in need throughout Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel. Kennebunk and the surrounding areas are not unlike other communities where there are families that struggle with financial insecurities. In some cases, those struggles become larger issues later in life for children.

MacKenzie and his department work on issues surrounding substance use disorder and the opioid epidemic. MacKenzie, who has been in public safety for over 40 years, has seen the toll substance use disorder has taken on communities, such as the loss of life, destruction of families and criminality in which substance use has been a primary factor.

Many times the issues MacKenzie and his team encounter have their roots in Adverse Childhood Experiences. Experiences include neglect; physical, mental or sexual abuse; or household dysfunction, such as exposure to substance use disorder, domestic violence, divorce, or losing a parent. Research has found that such experiences can alter a child’s brain development and immune system, leading to an increased risk of health and social problems in adults that range from obesity to alcoholism, heart and lung disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic depression, addiction, and suicide.

Adverse Childhood Experiences are linked to societal problems such as dropout rates, teen pregnancy, SUD and incarceration.

Community Strong, Character Strong, Children Strong was created in 2018, out of the annual Kennebunk Rotary Christmas party for those children in need at the elementary schools of RSU 21. Since that time, the program has served hundreds of children in various ways throughout the area by providing positive experiences for children. These positive experiences will have a direct impact on children as they grow into their teenage and adult years, thereby reducing their odds of negative outcomes.

Community Strong, Character Strong, Children Strong fundraises throughout the year for various projects. As an example, in 2020 the program provided for 80 children whose families typically do not have the resources to be able to fund such a program to attend the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel Recreation Summer Day Camp. The summer day camp, which lasts up to eight weeks throughout the summer, provides positive experiences and continues to build and foster relationships with peers and staff, thereby reducing the risk of negative outcomes.

Community Strong, Character Strong, Children Strong has raised more than $200,000 since 2018, which, in addition to the Summer Day Camp, has its signature annual Christmas party where items such as hats, coats, gloves undergarments and toys are provided to children and families in need. In addition, the program has provided back to school backpacks, new clothing for back to school, purchased music and art supplies and many other initiatives for those children in need.

Community Strong, Character Strong, Children Strong and Kennebunk Rotary collaborated with several area nonprofits such as the Tommy McNamara Charitable Foundation, Above Board charity organization, Community Outreach Services, Arundel Lodge, the Sand Witches and other organizations in order to make the initiatives possible.

For more information on Community Strong, Character Strong, Children Strong , contact Lesa Angelos at 425-343-8801 or Heidi Maynard at 207-841-6043.
For more information on Kennebunk Police Department and/or Adverse Childhood Experiences, contact MacKenzie at 207-604-1339 or rmackenzie@kennebunkmaine.us.

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