At its recent annual meeting in Bangor, the United Way of Eastern Maine presented the Maine Community Foundation with its 2008 Pillar of the Community Award.

The award is the highest honor United Way gives to an organization

In her presentation of the award, board vice-chair Deborah Stanford praised MaineCF's efforts to encourage people to come together "to accomplish positive change" in the five-county area United Way of Eastern Maine serves. She cited the foundation's grant support of nonprofits in the fields of education, health and economic development, and its work with the Eastern Maine Funders' Initiative to support home weatherization and heating oil assistance.