Ogunquit, ME., October 11, 2023 — The TramutoPorter Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of making the world more compassionate and kind by making resources available to individuals and communities in need, is proud to announce the TramutoPorter Foundation Ogunquit Playhouse Human Rights Endowment’s collaborative partnership between the Ogunquit Playhouse and The Center for Grieving Children.

For over 91 years, the Ogunquit Playhouse has been the artistic gateway to Maine’s southern seacoast, self-producing world-class Regional Theatre, delivering inclusive Arts Education programs, and creating memorable shared experiences for all ages. This power coupling of The Playhouse with an idyllic seaside village offers visitors and locals a wealth of fabulous experiences. Ogunquit is a destination within a destination for vacationers and theatre lovers from around the world.

The Ogunquit Playhouse is proud to offer the Center for Grieving Children access to tickets for Tootsie, currently playing on the Mainstage. Deborah Warren, Managing Director says “Theatre has the power to heal hearts and unite communities. Through our partnership with the Center for Grieving Children and thanks to the TramutoPorter Foundation Human Rights Endowment Fund established in 2018 at the Playhouse, we aim to bring a sense of joy into the lives of those who need it most. Together we can create unforgettable experiences.”

The Center for Grieving Children provides a safe space, loving peer support, outreach, and education to grieving children, teens, families, and the community. The Center offers hope as well as support the resilience of grieving individuals through a peer support family model. Thanks to the generous support of the community, the Center’s no-cost services are led by dedicated and highly-trained staff and volunteers in-person and online.

Held in Portland, Sanford and online, the Center offers three distinct peer support programs:

• Bereavement provides grief support for children, teens, their parents and caregivers, young adults, bereaved parents, and widows/widowers/partners;
• Tender Living Care (TLC) provides support for children, teens, young adults, parents, and caregivers through the changes that come with a family member’s diagnosis of serious illness; and
• Intercultural creates healing communities for children who have resettled in Portland from countries that have experienced war, violent conflict, and natural disaster. Participants have experienced a myriad of loss such as family death, loss of culture, and loss of place, to name a few.

Of the event, the Center’s Executive Director, Anne Heros, said, “We’re beyond thankful to the TramutoPorter Foundation and The Ogunquit Playhouse for giving us the opportunity to join with families and our amazing facilitators for a day filled with joy. We hope it’s an opportunity to spread the word about Center services.”

Volunteers are truly the heart of Center services. Their critical work would not be possible without the dedication of volunteer facilitators. Facilitators receive training in the Center’s peer support model for working with children, teens and families, commit to at least one year of volunteering, and are available one evening per week, virtually or in-person in Portland or Sanford. Currently, there is a great need for volunteers in York County, online, and in our Intercultural groups in Portland.

“To see the extraordinary level of collaboration and innovation – or “co-lab-ovation” as we like to say, from these two Maine-based organizations warms our hearts and is a true testimonial to our notion that innovation and collaboration must come together in order to have sustainable results,” said Donato Tramuto and Jeff Porter, Founders of the TramutoPorter Foundation.

Interested in learning more? Visit https://www.cgcmaine.org/get-involved/ or email our volunteer coordinator Sara Reddick at volunteer@cgcmaine.org.

For more information on the Ogunquit Playhouse, please visit ogunquitplayhouse.org or email Carol Chiavetta, Director of Marketing and Communications at
cchiavetta@ogunquitplayhouse.org.