Avec Community Action Launches Across Northern and Downeast Maine, Creating Stronger Regional Organization for Rural Communities

New Name and Brand Reflect Expanded Footprint, Shared Heritage, Community Partnership, and a Commitment to Sustainable Services Across Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock Counties

PRESQUE ISLE, ELLSWORTH AND MACHIAS, Maine – A new chapter in Community Action work across northern and Downeast Maine officially began today as Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties unveiled its new name and brand: Avec Community Action.

The launch was announced through a coordinated multi-platform electronic release featuring Avec team members speaking from their locations across the three counties on the new name, and the “why” behind it.

Watch the full launch video here.

Today’s reveal marks the culmination of a transformative year for the organization and reflects its evolution from a county-based agency into a unified regional Community Action Agency serving families and communities throughout Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock Counties.

For decades, the organization was known as the Aroostook County Action Program, or ACAP. While that name reflected the agency’s origins and history, leaders said it no longer fully represented the communities now served across roughly one-third of Maine’s landmass.

“Today’s announcement is about much more than a new logo or visual identity,” said Jason Parent, Chief Executive Officer of Avec Community Action. “It reflects who we are, how we work, and the future we’re building together. As our organization expanded across three counties, we knew we needed a name that represented all of the communities we serve and the values that guide our work every day. We found that in a simple word: Avec.”

Avec is the French word for “with.”

Agency leaders say the word captures the philosophy that has guided Community Action work for generations: working with people rather than for them, standing alongside families as they pursue their goals, and partnering with communities to solve challenges and create opportunities.

“We believe meaningful progress happens beside people, never above them,” Parent said. “The idea of ‘with’ is at the heart of everything we do. We work with families, with communities, with partners, and with one another. That’s what Community Action has always been about.”

The new name emerged through an extensive community engagement and branding process led by Maine-based branding firm Warp + Weft. The effort included interviews, surveys, stakeholder discussions, and input from Board members, staff, program participants, volunteers, community leaders, and residents from throughout the region.

While the word reflects the agency’s philosophy, leaders said it also acknowledges the deep historical and cultural connections that unite communities across northern and Downeast Maine.

French influence has shaped all three counties for centuries, from the earliest French settlements along the St. Croix River and the beginnings of Acadia in what is now Washington County, to the naming of Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, and the enduring Acadian culture of the St. John Valley in Aroostook County. Today, those influences remain visible through place names, traditions, language, and cultural heritage found throughout the region.

At the same time, leaders emphasized that the region’s story is broader than any single culture. The agency noted the enduring presence and contributions of the Wabanaki Nations, whose communities have lived throughout the region for thousands of years, as well as the many other cultures and traditions that have enriched northern and Downeast Maine over generations.

“This region has always been shaped by people finding ways to live, work, and build community together,” Parent said. “Avec recognizes those connections. It is a name rooted not in geography, but in relationships. It reflects the belief that communities are strongest when people come together around shared goals and shared challenges.”

The launch follows a period of significant organizational transformation.

After assuming responsibility for the continuation of key community services in Washington and Hancock Counties in late 2025, the agency began building a unified regional structure designed to strengthen long-term sustainability while preserving strong local connections in each county.

That work culminated this year with the establishment of a regional Board of Directors representing consumer, public, and private sector voices from across all three counties and the development of an integrated organizational model serving communities throughout the region.

Gary Sanfacon, Chair of the Board of Directors, said the new identity reflects both the agency’s growth and its commitment to collaboration.

“This organization has been built through partnership,” Sanfacon said. “The communities we serve share many of the same opportunities and challenges. By bringing resources, expertise, and people together, we have created a stronger organization that is better positioned to serve families today and adapt to whatever challenges the future may bring.”

Agency leaders noted that the regional model has already produced meaningful operational efficiencies through the consolidation of administrative functions, streamlined leadership structures, integrated systems, and the reduction of duplicative costs.

Those efforts are generating substantial recurring savings each year, allowing more resources to be directed toward community services while strengthening the organization’s long-term sustainability.

“In rural Maine, maintaining services requires us to think differently,” Parent said. “Organizations throughout the nonprofit and human services sectors face rising costs, workforce shortages, increasing demand, and limited resources. We believe collaboration, regional partnerships, and the thoughtful sharing of resources will become increasingly important if we want essential services to remain available in rural communities.”

Parent said the agency’s experience over the past year demonstrates how organizations can preserve and strengthen services through cooperation rather than competition.

“When organizations find ways to work together, communities benefit,” he said. “Our hope is that this serves as an example of what’s possible. The challenges facing rural regions are too significant for any one organization to solve alone. By reducing duplication and sharing resources, more dollars can be invested directly into programs and services that improve people’s lives.”

The agency emphasized that while its name has changed, its mission remains the same.

Today, Avec Community Action provides a broad range of services supporting individuals and families throughout northern and Downeast Maine, including energy and heating assistance, housing stability programs, Head Start and early childhood education, workforce development and employment services, health and wellness initiatives, transportation supports, services for older adults, financial empowerment programs, and community and economic development efforts.

Together, those programs assist thousands of individuals and families each year across Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock Counties.

“The heart of our organization remains unchanged,” Parent said. “We’ll continue showing up for people, listening without judgment, building partnerships, connecting resources, and helping families and communities thrive. Whether someone needs help keeping their home warm, preparing a child for success in school, finding stable housing, caring for an aging loved one, or pursuing a new opportunity, Avec will be there to stand alongside them.”

Community members will begin seeing the Avec Community Action name appear on social media platforms, websites, publications, electronic communications, facilities, and signage throughout the coming months. The transition will occur gradually, with some physical updates continuing into 2027.

Agency leaders ask community members for patience during the transition period as staff, partners, and residents become accustomed to the new name.

“At its heart, this launch comes down to one simple idea,” Parent said. “No one should have to face life’s challenges alone. That’s what Avec means. It means ‘with.’ And that’s how we’ll continue serving our communities for generations to come.”