Vinalhaven Community Development Partnership
Community Investing in Community
Who We Are
OUR MISSION
The Vinalhaven Community Development Partnership (VHCDP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 2023-2024. VHCDP’s mission is to help build and support a resilient community, a healthy environment, and a thriving local economy through economic diversification, sustainable development, and strategies focused on education, civic engagement, and improving the quality of life for all Vinalhaven residents.
ORIGINS
In 2020, the Town of Vinalhaven’s Board of Selectmen appointed an economic development committee to explore ways to support and diversify the Vinalhaven economy. Members of that town committee consisted of Vinalhaven year-round residents Avery Anthony, Catherine Haley, George Kendrick, Donald Poole, Shelby Smith, Alison Thibault and Samantha Thompson.
In 2021, after much research and community discussions, the committee recommended the formation of a private nonprofit community development corporation, together with a set of recommended focus areas and strategies in a comprehensive report.
In 2023-2024, a small group from the original committee, along with several community advisors, took the next step and established the Vinalhaven Community Development Partnership as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
OUR PEOPLE
VHCDP has a volunteer board of directors as well as an advisory committee of additional volunteers. The board of directors consists of the following members:
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Catherine Haley, President
George Kendrick, Secretary
Donna Cordner, Treasurer
Alex Young
About Vinalhaven
Vinalhaven is the largest of Maine’s unbridged islands, with a year-round population of about 1,300. Over 65% of the Vinalhaven population is self-employed, working in the lobster fishing industry, aquaculture, year-round retail, trades and service businesses, and in seasonal and tourism enterprises.
Vinalhaven is defined by its incredible beauty, tight-knit community, and enduring natural resources and marine heritage. External forces such as access to affordable housing, workforce availability, fishery populations, market economics, and climate change impact the nature and vitality of the island. State agencies, regional organizations, local nonprofits, and the local government are striving to address the complex challenges that threaten the island’s vitality. VHCDP is working consciously in alignment with these entities, aspiring to meet the needs of the community’s economic sectors through multiple initiatives.
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