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LEWISTON – New Beginnings, Inc., a Lewiston-based nonprofit serving homeless and at-risk youth, recently received an Avangrid Foundation $10,000 in grant to help the nonprofit continue serving homeless and at-risk youth. At the top of the list is promoting the safety, connections and growth that runaway and homeless youth need to thrive in 2021, especially in the face of challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Beginnings operates Marian’s Place – the only youth shelter in Maine licensed for 24-hour care – along with a full spectrum of supportive housing, counseling, educational support, prevention, and outreach services for teens and young adults in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Kennebec counties.
“New Beginnings is so grateful to have Avangrid Foundation as a partner in our work to address youth homelessness in Maine,” said Executive Director Chris Bicknell. The grant money “is helping meet the basic needs of Maine’s vulnerable youth living on the streets or facing food and housing instability.”
Workers reach out to youth on the streets and at schools, libraries, corner stores and parks to offer emergency supplies, a listening ear, and information about how to get food and shelter. Staff welcome and build trust with youth, encouraging them to engage in services when they are ready. Family mediation helps youth return home or reunify with relatives; when that isn’t possible, New Beginnings provides Transitional Living apartments where older youth can learn the skills they need to live independently.
Youth and young adults up to age 21 come to New Beginnings’ Youth Outreach Drop-in Center in Lewiston for help finding housing, emergency food and supplies, or simply a safe place to get warm off the streets and eat a much-needed meal. All of New Beginnings’ residential and outreach programs offer comprehensive case management to help young people pursue their goals and access and maintain stable housing.
Avangrid Foundation has identified youth homelessness as a top priority for its philanthropy and is partnering with multiple organizations working to end youth homelessness in Maine.
Since 1980, New Beginnings, Inc. has partnered with youth to create lasting change so all youth have a safe place to live and opportunities to grow. New Beginnings works with young people, their families, and other providers to ensure that vulnerable youth in Maine have access to the safe housing, supportive services, and positive relationships that they need to become healthy and stable adults. For more information, visit www.newbeginmaine.org or contact 207-795-4077. The 24-hour helpline for youth shelter and referrals is 207-795-4070.
