MIO's Lewiston Home
The MIO project team meets at MIO's new site in Lewiston.
Hi friends,
On Wednesday, November 17, 2021, we walked through the doors of the new site at 168 Lisbon St in Lewiston. It is the pilot for MIO’s collective vision: a network of welcoming, loving, creative community spaces across our state led by and for people impacted by incarceration. In our first opening ceremony - and there will be many more - we called in the names of everyone past, present and future whose heart and hands have led us to this point. It was humbling to recognize the invisible circle of incredible people, organizations, teachers, inspirations, and dreams that have built our foundation. It was bittersweet to acknowledge that we’ve lost some of these people. Thank you for any way you’ve joined us in this work - we are so grateful.
On Wednesday, December 8th, the MIO team next hosted our last event of the year “Reimagine Belonging: Community Care and Power in the Pandemic,” a virtual performance, a film debut in collaboration with Smooth Feather Productions, and the launch of our new web program designed in partnership with Polychrome Collective to share and celebrate MIO’s work during the pandemic.
Recap: WE DO THIS FOR THEM
On Monday, November 8 MIO performed in person for the first time since December 2019. We shared “We Do This For Them”, an evening of original poetry, music and performance created to honor friends and family we’ve lost to system violence. Thank you to the University of Maine at Farmington, TUG Collective and the Freedom and Captivity Project for hosting and partnering with us on this event and to Maine Youth Justice and Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition for sharing powerful calls to action to end youth incarceration and solitary confinement in Maine.
Merchandise
For the first time in two years MIO sweatshirts are for sale! Check out this classic design: black sweatshirt, large MIO logo on the front, and the Lewiston Community Site Illustration on the back. The illustration was created this summer by MIO artists in collaboration with Radical Roadmaps. Buy a sweatshirt to share and support our vision!
Huge thank you to Little Chair Printing for designing, printing and distributing the merch.
Limited time offer through the end of the year, so order yours today!
Business Partner Highlights
Thank you to our friends at Pierce Atwood for their expertise and partnership. We could not have acquired the new MIO space in Lewiston without their support.
Lewiston Auburn Chamber of Commerce, thank you for hosting us on November 11th and welcoming us as official members of the chamber!
Two Fat Cats has supported MIO since 2014. They’ve donated amazing cakes for MIO release ceremonies - a special ceremony for MIO members about to be released from incarceration or just returned home. Generations of MIO members and their peers have enjoyed and shared Two Fat Cat cakes to celebrate this momentous transition in their lives. Thank you!
We have beautiful office furniture thanks to Red Thread. Our space is starting to feel like home! Thank you Red Thread!
In this year’s annual funding appeal, MIO is raising $150,000 from our community of supporters to fund 2022’s work across the state and in the Lewiston pilot site. Thank you to everyone who has joined us. YOU are the power behind Maine Inside Out. Together, we can invest in and build relationships and social infrastructure that honors the ways our well-being is interconnected. Let's raise these resources together, and celebrate, together on December 8th!