It’s cold, in so many ways, this January.
There’s the chill of political instability. And here in the midcoast, we’ve had the roller coaster of temperature and precipitation that marks our recent climate instability. While we’re not able to control the weather, we can take steps to help one another through these January days.
In previous newsletters we’ve talked of neighborhood pods and the power of setting out with a basket of muffins to greet a new neighbor. We’ve got lots to share about how these pods can work—and we’d like to share a bowl of soup with you and hear what you think.
To that end, there’s a Winter Warmth Potluck on Thursday January 29 at the First Congregational Church of Camden, co-hosted by CamdenCAN and the Anti-Poverty Work Group. (See more in the calendar listing below; bring any dish you want—if you want to sign up to bring a dish, visit this site.)
There’ll be plenty of food to share, and good folks to meet—plus the chance to converse about our communities and ways we might work to build a future of solutions. Not just for an unstable climate, but also in emergency preparedness, housing, economic inequality, and other governance solutions.
The joy of connecting in the winter—whether it’s shoveling that driveway, or sharing a chat on the sidewalk—is that the rewards are two-fold: the warmth you feel at the connection, and the joy and warmth your neighbor feels. Let’s spread that feeling.
Have You Got Some Experience With Improving Your Home’s Efficiency or Installing Solar?
If so, we need your help with a survey. (And apologies if you’ve already completed it…we have 47 responses so far and would love to get a few more….) Several towns with Energy Coaching programs are gathering anonymous data on real-world costs of home energy projects such as insulation, heat pumps, heat-pump water heaters, electrical panel upgrades, solar panels, and batteries. The survey only takes a few minutes, and we need estimates from all types of homes—please add what you can from energy projects you’ve done in the past three years, and share the link with friends.
https://qualtricsxmrnpk2grgv.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bwL89afsuhVOnZk
All responses are anonymous; results will be aggregated and shared with coaching programs. Questions? Contact amanda@beechhillresearch.com who designed the survey as a volunteer for the Camden-Rockport Energy Coaching program.
Upcoming Events
1/27/2026, Tuesday, 8:30 am-12 pm, Make Polluters Pay, Day of Action at the Maine State House in Augusta. Maine has a chance to pass important climate legislation, LD 1870, the Climate Superfund Act, to make polluters pay to protect communities from the climate crisis. Part of the national Make Polluters Pay Week of Action, activists across the US will rally to call on lawmakers to hold polluters accountable for their role in the climate crisis. A pop-up gallery will be on display during the day of action, featuring photos that illustrate the impact of the climate crisis in Maine’s towns, livelihoods, and environment. Come advocate and make your voice heard. RSVP here.
1/27/2026, Tuesday, 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, Camden Public Library, CamdenCAN’s Resilient Reading Group. Facilitated conversation circle exploring living in a climate-changed world. Our current book is Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart/Brian D. McLaren. See more about it here. You don’t need to attend all gatherings—drop-ins are welcome. We’ll also be picking out our next books/readings for February (2/10 and 2/14) and March (3/10 and 3/24).
1/28/2026, Wednesdays—and 2/4, 2/11, 7:00 pm-8:15 pm, via Zoom. We Are the Great Turning. After a rich first series in the fall, Maine Climate Action Now and A Climate to Thrive are hosting a second series of three online gatherings this winter to engage with the podcast We Are the Great Turning: Love, Courage and Connection in the Climate Crisis. Sessions will not be recorded. Participants are encouraged to join all three sessions since they will build on each other. We will listen to an episode of the We Are the Great Turning podcast before each group meeting. People who joined the fall series are welcome; we will focus on different episodes. This program is FREE to join. Register here.
1/29/2026, Thursday, 5:30 pm-8:00 pm, First Congregational Church, Camden. Winter Warmth Community Potluck. Co-sponsored by the Anti-Poverty Work Group and CamdenCAN. Meet other readers of this newsletter, hear more about neighborhood pods, the work of the Anti-Poverty group, and ways to cut down on home energy use. They’ll be open-ended conversations about helping one another, finding solutions to the issues of our times. We’d love to add your voice to the conversation. All are invited and the event is free and open to the public. If you’d like to sign up to bring a dish, see here: https://www.PerfectPotluck.com/ELRY9677. If you have questions email camdencan2025@gmail.com.
Concluding Thoughts
Put on another layer; drink a hot beverage, snuggle under another blanket. There’s lots of advice on ways to warm up.
We hate to admit that our parents were right in having us get on all those layers and go out to play in the cold.
Turns out that putting one foot in front of the other, getting out there, seeing what it feels like, is sage. We find we can handle that cold day; we find a neighbor also out, breathing in the frigid air. We connect.
We’re going to need to approach our changing world boldly, taking on tasks we didn’t think we could, perhaps doing with less, learning to adjust our plans when the world, or weather, has other plans.
That’s resilience. And we build it together, by helping one another, modeling the world we’d like to have.
We hope to see you out there, especially at our 1/29 potluck. Bundle up, and bring a neighbor. And if you need a ride, or know of someone who does, let us know—we’ll find one for you.
PS one little tidbit…
- From the Yale Climate Connections, a preview of the new year in 12 books.