Altrusa International - Portland, Maine Club

Altrusa International - Portland, Maine Club We are a non-profit club devoted to delivering books and literacy, scholarships, and serving our communities. Love, Literacy and Legacy.

Portland Altrusa meets twice a month for ten months, September through June. The business meeting is held at 6pm on the first Wednesday of each month at the Westbrook Community Center (WCC), 426 Bridge St, Westbrook in the Oak Room. Our program meeting is held at 6pm on the third Wednesday of each month and the location may vary. Contact us to confirm the location each month (WCC, Zoom or at a loc

al restaurant). Message us to confirm meeting information and location each month. Altrusans also participate in regular community service activities throughout the year. Our projects include:

* ABC Literacy - Reading to kindergarteners in many schools in the greater Portland area. Each child selects a forever book of their very own thanks to the generous customers of Books A Million.

* Altrusa Gives Books - Visit our website to request books for your school or non-profit organization. https://www.altrusaportland.org/request-books

* PROP’s Summer Lunch Program - Book distribution in 18 locations along with enrichment activities for the kids

* Books Behind Bars - Providing books at various reading levels for prisoners and their visiting family members

* Scholarships - $$$ - Providing college and back-to-work grants

* Empty Bowl Supper - To benefit Project FEED- Serving soup to feed the hungry.

* Ronald MacDonald House Guest Chefs - Once a month we cook a meal for all of the families staying at RMH.

* Bags of Hope - Supporting women leaving recovery with bags containing toiletries and personal care items.

* Barron Center Gardens - Spring and Fall Clean up of gardens

* A.S.T.R.A. - We proudly support this youth services group at Lake Region High School. They use their Abilities to Serve our community, participate in Training that improves leadership skills, take Responsibility for their work together, and are proud of member Achievements that make a real difference to our world.

This past week, Portland Altrusans spent a couple of days in our storage area stickering and shelving books from the rec...
08/31/2026

This past week, Portland Altrusans spent a couple of days in our storage area stickering and shelving books from the recent Book Drive, and getting organized for the upcoming school year.

Thanks to Books-A-Million South Portland and their customers for your generous book donations. These will make a lot of local school kids very happy!

Thanks also to Portland Public Schools Food Services for providing this wonderful space to keep the books.



A wonderful tribute to Dolly from a sister club in Arkansas.
08/27/2026

A wonderful tribute to Dolly from a sister club in Arkansas.

Today, we join people around the world in mourning the loss of Dolly Parton, an extraordinary woman whose vision changed childhood for millions.

Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Dolly placed books into the hands and homes of children around the world and inspired a love of reading from the very beginning.

Thank you, Dolly, for believing so deeply in the power of books and the potential of every child. Your legacy will live on for generations.

Drop off a new and unwrapped toy on August 23rd for our annual Toys For Tots toy drive with the Southern Maine Corvette ...
08/20/2026

Drop off a new and unwrapped toy on August 23rd for our annual Toys For Tots toy drive with the Southern Maine Corvette Club!
We appreciate your support! 💛

We might be on the news tonight!! WCSH Channel 6. This book drive ends today at Books-A-Million South Portland, but our ...
08/16/2026

We might be on the news tonight!! WCSH Channel 6.

This book drive ends today at Books-A-Million South Portland, but our work on literacy continues throughout the year. Thanks to all the generous customers of BAM, we have a lot of work ahead of us!!


🎒💛✏️📓
08/15/2026

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Every year we do a back to school drive and every year donations for little kids far outnumber those for teens. But the need for school supplies is just as big - if not bigger - for older kids and teens.

BIG KID KIT

Spiral notebook(s)
Binders
Pens
Pencils
Pencil sharpener
Calculator
Highlighter
Deodorant

*BONUS ITEMS

Lunchboxes
Reusable water bottles
Tall athletic socks

Drop off kits or individual items during weekly donation hours OR order online & ship directly to us!

Share great shopping deals in the comments below!

WEEKLY DONATION HOURS

Tues 10am-1pm, 6pm-8pm
Thurs 10am-1pm

📍2385 Congress Street, Portland ME 04102

08/13/2026
08/09/2026
National Book Lovers Day 2026 is observed on Sunday, August 9. It is an unofficial holiday celebrating the joy of readin...
08/09/2026

National Book Lovers Day 2026 is observed on Sunday, August 9. It is an unofficial holiday celebrating the joy of reading, literature, and the physical appreciation of books.

is holding a semi-annual book drive for us now until August 16th.
Stop in and donate a kids book for us, while you purchase your own next read.
Our organization has given over 3000 books to Greater Portland K-students.
Thank you for your generosity.

In 2025/2026, Altrusa International of Portland, Maine distributed 3289 books to kindergartners and school libraries in ...
08/09/2026

In 2025/2026, Altrusa International of Portland, Maine distributed 3289 books to kindergartners and school libraries in 20 Greater Portland elementary schools, and donated books to other Altrusa Clubs and local organizations.

WHY IS ALTRUSA FOCUSED ON LITERACY?
• 25 million children in the US cannot read proficiently
• 61% of US children living at or below the poverty line have no books at home.
• 59 million adults with low literacy skills could read, write or do math if given a chance to learn
• 70% of 10-year olds living in low and middle-income countries (including the US) cannot read and understand a simple text and are considered to be living in learning poverty.
WHY IT MATTERS . . .
• Books at home are the strongest predictor of academic success—more than income, parent education, or family structure.
• Children without books at home average three years behind peers with many books.
• Access to books helps break the link between poverty and poor academic outcomes.

Address

PO Box 8834
Portland, ME
04104

Website

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