Tedford Housing

Empowering people to move from homelessness to home.

Tedford Housing to Present Annual Awards – Thurs. June 11

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Tedford Housing invites the public to its Annual Meeting and Awards on Thursday, June 11th at 4:30 pm at The Daniel Hotel, 10 Water Street, Brunswick, Maine. We will be recognizing the Merrymeeting Board of Realtors, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, and the Brunswick Pathway Vineyard Church for their contributions to Tedford Housing and our clients.  We will also recognize outgoing Board members for their service to our organization. Executive Director Craig A. Phillips will give an update on Tedford’s  strategic plan and discuss recent successes and new challenges.

Light refreshments will be served. There is no charge to attend, but please RSVP so we’ll know how many people are planning to attend. Please email marthas@tedfordhousing.org or call 729-1161, #101.

 

In the News: A Closer Look at Tedford Housing

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The following was printed in the Times Record on 2/17/15:

What is the mission of Tedford Housing?

Tedford Housing works with people in their communities to find lasting solutions to the challenges of homelessness. We provide shelter, housing and services that empower adults, children and families in need.

How do you fulfill that mission?

The first step is immediate shelter of the individual or family at the adult or family shelters in Brunswick. Then our case managers work with each person or family on an individual plan to obtain affordable and permanent housing. By the time a person contacts Tedford, (s)he is in crisis mode with health problems, job loss, or relationship issues- lack of housing is just one of the many problems. Tedford works with a vast array of partners and community resources to address these many challenges. Tedford links with a vast array of community resources and partnerships to achieve lasting solutions for each person and household.

What are the biggest challenges your organization faces?

Like most health and human service businesses, we are significantly impacted by cuts in government funding for services for the poor. Our shelters are almost always full, and affordable housing is in short supply throughout the Mid-coast. Even though resources are stretched, we are fortunate to be part of an incredibly generous and sophisticated community. Our supporters understand that the entire community benefits when everyone has a place to live. Individuals, local churches, civic groups, schools and businesses pitch in however they can—providing money, meals and supplies and volunteering their time.

Another challenge is the recent increase of homeless teenagers in the local school systems. We have a partnership with the Brunswick, Bath (RSU1) and Topsham (MSAD 75) schools.  Last year Tedford worked with 90 students in these three school systems.  The needs and legal status of teenagers is quite different from adults. Our focus is stabilizing their living situations so they have a greater chance of completing high school and having productive lives.

What is something that people don’t know about Tedford Housing?

People do not realize the size and scope of our organization. The name was changed from Tedford Shelter to Tedford Housing in 2006 to reflect our focus on a broader continuum of services, including permanent housing. While the Brunswick shelters are critical to our mission, sheltering is just a step in finding long term solutions to homelessness. We are pleased to offer supported housing (apartments for previously homeless individuals and families with a case manager) in Brunswick, Bath, Lewiston, Auburn and Augusta.  We encourage people who are struggling to pay their rent to get in touch with us before they receive an eviction notice; the sooner they get in touch with us, the more options there are for us to help.

Finally, we would like people to know that we have many success stories. It is not uncommon for us to hear from someone who stayed at one of our shelters years ago, now wanting to give back. There is nothing more rewarding for us than for someone say, “Tedford saved my life. Now I want to help.”

How can people best support your mission?

There are many meaningful ways to support our mission. We invite community members to call us to discuss their interests. We welcome opportunities to present at schools, civic groups and businesses to help people understand the complexities of homelessness and services offered by Tedford Housing.

Annual Homeless Memorial Service December 18th

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Tedford Housing will hold its annual homeless memorial service at 4 pm on Thursday, December 18th at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 27 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, Maine.  All are invited to attend this short interfaith service. Light refreshments will be served. Weather permitting, we will process from the church to the gazebo and read the names of and remember homeless individuals who have passed away during the year.

Since 1990, homeless prevention and advocacy groups across the country have been recognizing National Homeless Memorial Day during the Winter Solstice.  Tedford Housing’s Executive Director Craig A. Phillips says “ the Winter Solstice reminds of us the challenges and struggles of families and individuals who do not have a stable home, who are homeless on this, the day with the greatest amount of darkness. The next day, though is a bit brighter, as is the next.”

Emergency Heating Assistance Program Begins December 1st

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Tedford Housing is preparing for the start of its Warm Thy Neighbor (WTN) Emergency Fuel Assistance Program which runs from Dec. 1st to March 31st. Last year, we arranged fuel deliveries to 165 area households.

Looking to help? WTN relies on the generous donations of community members whose gifts allow Tedford to arrange fuel delivery to extremely low-income households. If you would like to donate, please send your check, payable to “Warm Thy Neighbor,” c/o Tedford Housing, PO Box 958, Brunswick, ME 04011 or visit our secure online donation page and indicate you would like your gift to go towards the Warm Thy Neighbor fund.

Looking for assistance? WTN helps qualified households from Brunswick, Harpswell, Topsham, Lisbon, Lisbon Falls, Bowdoin, Bowdonham and Durham. Qualifications for this program may be found on our Get Help page. If you believe you qualify for help, you may leave a message at 207-729-1161, #113 stating the reason for your name, reason for your call and your phone number. We begin returning WTN calls and making appointments the week of November 24th.

PO Box 958, Brunswick ME 04011