Help Support Sarah’s Maternity Leave

Hi everyone, my name is Meagan and I am about to be an Auntie! We are so excited to meet the first member of the next generation of Gagnons. Zachary and Sarah are expecting Baby Sam to arrive any day now (his official due date is October 4). Zachary and Sarah are going to be incredible parents. They are both loving, thoughtful, compassionate people who are going to shower Sam with unconditional love. We could use your help as we welcome him into the world.

Unfortunately, Sarah learned last week that her maternity leave is unpaid. This leaves them with an impossible decision to make. She will either have to return to her classroom after 2 weeks, using up all of the year’s paid time off in the process, or take a full leave unpaid. Zachary receives 2 weeks paid paternity leave, but beyond that there is no childcare available until Sam is at least 6 weeks old.

They are both teachers who would do anything for the students they teach. Sarah has been teaching for years. She began as a special education teacher, then moved into a general education classroom, all while simultaneously finishing her masters degree, which she completed last year. Zachary teaches high school where he prides himself on his ability to connect with students. He recently received a promotion to team leader where he supports other teachers, in addition to his own teaching duties. You may have seen him in the paper for his unique speech at graduation, where he did a “nice roast” of each graduating student (https://www.pressherald.com/2022/06/05/harpswell-coastal-academy-celebrates-a-resilient-senior-class/). Both Zachary and Sarah love and excel at their jobs, despite the many systemic challenges teachers face especially now.

The decision to have to return to work is always a challenge, even without factoring in financial stressors. Sarah and Zachary will spend as much time with Sam as possible, but but with upcoming hospital bills, monthly bills including their mortgage, costs of diapers, and so much more, they cannot afford to lose a month of pay. Even worse, they cannot fathom leaving their child at merely 2 weeks (plus no sick time available for the next 8 months). We would appreciate any assistance so Sarah can be with Sam for as long as she can.

It is really hard to ask for help, but have no choice now but to turn to our community.

We are asking for $6,000 to cover the loss of income and related expenses so that Sarah can choose to spend more time recovering and bonding with Sam. We would appreciate any help at all. Thank you for being a part of the Gagnons’ village as Sarah and Zachary enter parenthood for the first time and we all welcome Baby Sam into the world!