The Bangor Area Homeless Shelter (BAHS) opened on Christmas Eve, 1986 as a 12-bed overnight facility. Developed primarily by several members of the Hammond Street Congregational Church and primarily managed by volunteers, the Shelter was intended to be a short-term “hand up” for homeless folks from Greater Bangor. A focus was families and single moms, with a goal of helping reduce demand on the City’s shelter.
As of our 32nd anniversary in September 2017, BAHS has grown into 38-bed shelter staffed by 21 full and part-time professionals. We are now open 24 hours every day and provide many services in addition to overnight safety. These include a soup kitchen, emergency food pantry, a safe place for guests of the Shelter and others at risk of homelessness to socialize and meet with caseworkers, information and referral services, therapeutic groups, and easy access to medical and mental health services. We have also developed permanent housing (Cedarview Efficiency Apartments) for six previously and chronically homeless adults.
Timeline
| Early 1980s | Hammond Street Congregational Church hosts talks regarding homelessness |
| 1985 | Catholic Diocese provides us with a building Greater Bangor Area Shelter is incorporated |
| 12/24/86 | Shelter opens Director hired |
| 1987 | Maine Legislature passes Shelter Funding Bill Inter-agency Task Force on Homelessness and Housing Opportunities formed |
| 1994 | Decision reached, shelter environment not appropriate for minor children Standard becomes 18 and older |
| 1995 | Day program Hope House (ARC) & the Greater Bangor Area Shelter run joint day program funded by Housing Urban Development (HUD) First Hike for the Homeless |
| 1/1996 | Dennis Marble hired as Shelter Director |
| 1996 | Program Manager position added |
| 1997 | Shelter becomes a United Way Member Agency Begin lobbying in Augusta for sufficient funding and better public policy |
| 1998 | With support from community, independent Day Program begins (no HUD) Continue lobbying with Maine Coalition for the Homeless Greater Bangor Area Shelter changes its name to The Bangor Area Homeless Shelter |
| 1999 | Shelter staff increases to 9 |
| 2000 | Shelter staff increases to 10.5 Governor’s Sub Cabinet on Homelessness More agencies seek homeless funding More state funding but more shelters funded results in minimal net gain |
| 2001 | First of three plans to end homelessness written (State Collaborative) |
| 2002 | Statewide homeless council formed |
| 2003 | Shelter budget hits $400,000 |
| 2004 | Shelter staff increases to 12 Cedarview Efficiencies opens Penobscot Community Health Care brings medical services to shelter guests |
| 2005 | Mary-Ann Chalila, early board member and director of Bangor Health and Welfare dies suddenly |
| 2006 | Shelter full each night for 8 months |
| 2008 | Mission statement revised to emphasize community |
| 2009 | Shelter partners with Community Housing of Maine on new four unit housing |
| 2010 | 15th Annual Hike for the Homeless over $50k raised Bangor Region Leadership Institute (BRLI) involved in annual hike planning |
| 2012 | Shelter staff increases to 15 |
| 2014 | Founding board member, Mary Hale, dies |
| 2015 | 20th Annual Hike for the Homeless draws record number of participants- 1,100 people! |
| 12/2015 | Dennis Marble retires after 20 years of leadership at BAHS |
| 7/2016 | Boyd Kronholm appointed Executive Director |
| 10/2017 | Board of Directors adopts a new vision statement for the Shelter |
| 12/2018 | Overnight Warming Center opens for its first season |