Help the Homeless
You can make a donation to the shelter by sending a check to the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, 263 Main Street, Bangor, ME 04401, or donate online by clicking the link below to our official PayPal account!
The Shift Report is a quarterly newsletter published by the Shelter. Below is the most recent (text format). If you would like to receive our newsletter, please contact Courtney at 947-0092 or email courtneyo@bangorareashelter.org.
The Shift Report
Fall 2012
Annual Meeting
On Tuesday, September 18 we held our 26th annual volunteer recognition and business meeting. A HUGE thanks to the Eagles Club in Brewer for supporting us with a complete donation of their facility and dinner! We recognized the following members of the Board who were “termed out” after two terms of service: Sharon Brasslett (Chair), Walt Cupples (Past Chair) and Ken Peters (Secret Weapon). And the following were welcomed as members beginning their first, 3-year term: Gail Kelly, Reverend Rita Steadman, Sarah Thayer and Chris Haywood.
Outreach: Late this summer we collaborated with CHCS and Catholic Charities of Maine to respond to a possible state grant opportunity to provide street outreach services. We felt that the notion of one additional position to work “out there” but as a member of our existing shelter team made sense in terms of efficient coordination of services. And with the real possibility of more people being homeless and unable to find appropriate shelter, we wanted to bolster our efforts to keep people safe while acting within our mission. We’ll post the outcome on our website when we find out the results of the state process.
Appeal reminder: Please remember that November first kicks off our Annual Appeal. The Appeal is the Shelter’s single largest fund raiser, so thank you for whatever you may be able to donate. And please feel free to share with all your friends. :) Note: Don’t forget the United Way campaign (September and October)—we’re a member agency!
Emergency Winter Program
One of the actions we take in addition to providing shelter on Main Street is to join forces with other local agencies including CHCS and the City of Bangor and contribute to a fund used to provide additional, emergency shelter for families for whom no other option is available in Bangor. We want you to know where a small portion of your donations go.
Note from our Director:
As I write this piece, we’re heading into fall and cooler weather (with some downright chilly nights). And as much as I know that this Shelter will continue to benefit from the compassion and generosity of a lot of individuals, families, businesses, churches and service groups, I don’t have that kind of confidence from the government side of things. Proposals to eliminate whole categories of people from health coverage, or to reduce rates of payment for providers, will combine to make supportive services harder to access for many folks who struggle daily with poverty and disabilities. Many will become less stable in the housing they have found that we as a community have found for them, and more individuals and families may well become homeless after having already made a set of really tough decisions. This all may well sound like a repeat of news from previous years, but it’s as true and accurate as I can convey. All of us at this Shelter wish you a warm and sound and safe fall into winter.
Dennis Marble
2012 Shelter Stats
111
Individuals who received permanent housing:12,897
Bed nights provided:452
Clients served:2013 Hike for the Homeless
767
Participants:$43,500
Money Raised:News
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