The mother of two finds joy in building and sharing community.

The 17-year-old started speaking up in support of her peers in middle school.

From taking people into her home to caring for family members, she’s always ‘doing something for someone.’

Following in her friend’s footsteps, Machar wants to share the many benefits of connecting with nature.

The founder of ArtVan has been bringing supplies to neighborhoods of kids for 20 years.

The former paper mill worker has found purpose working with people with intellectual disabilities.

A contractor for the state’s child and family services, he uses his network to create opportunities.

No matter how different our backgrounds or beliefs, as humans, we have a lot more in common than we don’t. As Mainers, we have even more.

This year alone, we collectively lived through a series of storms that brought widespread destruction to our state, felt the burden of rising food and housing costs, and together looked up at the sky to take in a total eclipse and the Northern Lights. Though a divisive presidential election kept our differences top of mind, some of us were able to put those aside to focus instead on helping neighbors in need.

We asked you to tell us about these unsung heroes from your communities, who go above and beyond simply because they care. Among our selections for this year’s Mainers To Be Thankful For are a teenage activist, a devoted caregiver and an innovative food pantry manager. They are people who help both friends and strangers, including asylum seekers and children in foster care. They’ve built community, forged connections and made our state a better place to live. Here are their stories.

She led an overhaul of the Brunswick pantry to make it more accessible.