Heard, Valued, and Trusted

May 2026

Dear Friend,

When only one in two Maine youth says they feel they matter in their community, it is not merely a troubling statistic; it is a public health crisis. Statewide data show Maine high schoolers who feel they matter in their community are 25% less likely to partake in substance abuse compared to their peers who do not share this sentiment, and they are three times less likely to consider suicide.¹

Through your support for the Restorative Justice Project Maine, you are part of the solution. Together, we are fostering community belonging and supportive relationships in the lives of our youth.

Restorative justice is about building relationships, and this ethos comes to life at every step of a youth’s harm repair journey. Our staff invest time in getting to know the hopes and concerns of each youth. We involve support persons from the youth’s life, and we bring in caring volunteers from the community. Harm repair agreements intentionally include actions to encourage community engagement, such as volunteering, helping a neighbor, or joining a sports team. And we match every youth with a dedicated mentor to accompany them as they fulfill their harm repair commitments.

We invest in relationships because the evidence shows our high-accountability, high-support approach yields the best outcomes. More importantly, we invest in relationships because of the transformation we witness, time and again.

“I definitely felt she was more confident,” reflects Nada*, on her experience accompanying Amira* through the harm repair process. “When I first met Amira, she was withdrawn into herself. She wasn’t big on talking; when asked questions, she just answered them quickly and moved on. But when we had our last meeting, she explained a lot more. She talked a lot more. I felt she was a lot more confident in her voice. A lot more herself.”

In our work, above-and-beyond is the norm, not the exception. Youth are always the co-authors of their own harm repair agreements, and they often bring the most creative, ambitious ideas to the table. Mentors meet youth not just ‘where they’re at,’ but where they want to go, which may mean offering a listening ear while picking up litter, shooting hoops, or circling the skate rink. And when it matters most, from court hearings to school board meetings, our team shows up to testify to the accomplishments of our youth and their deserving the best possible future.

As communities, we show our young people they matter with our actions: by listening to their concerns, showing up when they need our support, and trusting them with opportunities to make a difference.

When you give to Restorative Justice Project Maine this spring, you are creating opportunities for young people to feel and know that they are heard, valued, and trusted in their community.

What is the value of showing a young person they matter?

At Restorative Justice Project Maine, we are committed to showing our youth that they are worthy of our best care and attention. Together, we are investing in relationships because every youth in Maine deserves to know deeply that they belong.

Sincerely,

Melissa Bellew
Board Chair

P.S.  To help us reach our $20K goal by June 30th, a member of our Board has pledged to MATCH every dollar from first-time donors.

*Names & identifying details have been changed.

1. Maine Department of Health and Human Services & Maine Department of Education. Maine Youth Integrated Health Survey: 2025 Results. ↩︎