Megan Shaprio-Ross’s Story: How a scholarship to Leadership Maine helped shape her leadership style and how her organization serves the Seacoast region
On a beautiful September morning, Footprints Pantry is bustling with activity. The open-air market is brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables, volunteers are packing boxes for home delivery to individuals unable to access the food market in person, and Megan Shapiro-Ross, LM Damariscotta alum, is working alongside a dozen volunteers to ensure those seeking assistance can shop for food with dignity. After greeting a few incoming guests, Shapiro-Ross takes me a couple of miles down the road to visit the future home of Mainspring: the Seacoast Social Services Collective.
Mainspring represents the shared vision of Shapiro-Ross and Emily Flinkstrom, Executive Director of Fair Tide, an organization dedicated to reducing homelessness through permanent housing and supportive services. The two began discussing in 2019 how social service organizations could consolidate resources in one location to address the causes and effects of poverty in their community. This ambitious $6.3 million endeavor is one Shapiro-Ross might not have been prepared for if she hadn’t received a scholarship to participate in Leadership Maine.
Shapiro-Ross credits her Leadership Maine experience with teaching her “to trust my gut more” and expanding her perspective beyond Kittery. “There is so much incredible work being done in Maine that I wasn’t aware of, and it’s much more interconnected than I realized.“
Before Leadership Maine, Shapiro-Ross viewed herself and her organization as small players in the larger landscape. Although she had connections with other organizations, she wasn’t collaborating in significant ways. A turning point came when classmate Susan Ahern, VP of Innovation at MaineHealth, expressed how much she valued Shapiro-Ross’s questions and insights. This feedback shifted Shapiro-Ross’s perception of her role in Maine’s economy and community. She has since become a more confident public speaker, able to discuss her mission, present to potential funders, and advocate at the state level with assurance. She is now equipped to drive transformational change for vulnerable community members.
Back at Mainspring, I observed how individuals will be able to shop for groceries and clothing, attend health and wellness classes, meet with their case manager, receive medical and mental health services, get housing assistance, and access referrals to other resources—all within the fully accessible stores and offices inside the Collective. Jan Kearce, Senior Program Director of MDF’s Leadership Programs, notes, “Mainspring embodies the spirit and values of Leadership Maine—connection, understanding, collaboration, and action can change a person who can change Maine.”
Shapiro-Ross reflects that Leadership Maine “opened doors and helped her see that there is so much to teach and learn from everyone at the table.” She encourages future scholarship recipients to apply and be prepared for a transformative experience that will broaden their perspectives both internally and externally, all while engaging with fascinating people