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Giving Voice: It takes a community effort to get through difficult times

April 15, 2020 By Rota Knott Leave a Comment

Giving Voice

The following article was published in The Times Record on 4/10/20 and written by Jennifer Iacovelli, Tedford Housing’s director of development.

I am working from home as I write this article, typing away on my laptop in my office. One of my sons is chatting away with his 5th grade “lunch crew” buddies via Zoom, while my other son, a freshman, finishes up baking some sugar cookies. He chose sugar cookies because that’s what could be made with the ingredients available to him right now.

Earlier I drafted a grant proposal, spoke with some shelter meal donors by phone and helped my 5th grader with some math. Soon I’ll take a break to walk the dog and eat a late lunch, which will consist of whatever I have in the kitchen. I guess this is our new normal for the time being.

COVID-19 has changed the way we all work and live. In Tedford Housing’s case, we’ve had to expand our hours rather than decrease our operations. With safe community spaces like The Gathering Place and Curtis Memorial Library closed during the day, it’s essential for our adult shelter to be open 24 hours / day. Because we normally close between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. during the week, this change means a lot of new logistics and expenses that weren’t in our plans. At the very least, it means we need staffing 24 hours at our adult shelter, and we need to feed our shelters guests three meals per day.

In an effort to practice social distancing and to comply with Gov. Janet Mills’ executive order to shelter safely at home, we are spreading staff out as much as possible. Some, like me, are working from home if and when we can. Our supportive housing and outreach case managers are checking in with people via phone, text and email. Tedford Housing’s buildings are closed to the public. Only staff and guests are allowed into our shelters.

Yesterday was my morning to be in the admin office and to deliver lunch to shelter guests. I’ll be back tomorrow in the afternoon. We’ve spread out our staff to cover our “headquarters” so people can still drop off needed donations outside our door on Middle Street during business hours. (Though at this point we are only accepting essential donations that we need right now such as cleaning supplies and paper products.)

Our adult shelter staff are the ones on the frontlines day in and day out. Not only is our shelter open 24 hours, but we also have some guests staying in local hotel rooms so that we can properly practice social distancing. The distance means that food needs to be delivered to two places every day.

Basic needs like food and shelter are absolutely essential right now. Sheltering safely at home only works if you have a home (and one that’s safe). When neighbors need help in times like this, it truly takes a community to provide the basics.

We are thankful to so many donors, volunteers and partners who are helping us to keep operating during this time. Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program is providing lunches Monday – Saturday, while a neighbor is delivering lunch on Sunday. Our regular Meal-A-Month volunteers continue to prepare and deliver dinner every night, leaving the food outside the shelter and ringing the bell to alert staff. The Brunswick School Department has been providing breakfast and lunches during the week for school-aged children and working on technology access for those who may have difficulty with remote learning. A local donor provided handmade masks for Tedford Housing staff who are working at the shelter or delivering meals. Pathway Vineyard Church is continuing its Tuesday night community meal on a take-out basis and bringing some over to the shelter at the end of the night. The Bath YMCA, right down the road from one of our family supportive housing units, is providing free meals for kids. Mid Coast Hospital provided thermometers for guests to track their temperature each day. Supporters have stopped by to drop off cleaning supplies, toilet paper and other essentials outside our admin office door. We appreciate the well wishes through the glass storm door! And we are thankful for the monetary donations coming in from neighbors, local organizations, funders and other supporters to help us with the many unexpected expenses we are incurring during this pandemic.

These are difficult and challenging times for many of us, regardless of socioeconomic background. If this pandemic teaches us anything, it’s that it truly takes a community effort to get through difficult times.

Filed Under: Giving, News & Events Tagged With: Brunswick, community support, COVID-19, Giving Voice, Jennifer Iacovelli, Maine, Tedford Housing

Upstanders in our mix

October 16, 2018 By Rota Knott Leave a Comment

The following article was published in The Times Record on 10/12/18 and written by Joanne Rosenthal, former board member and current Tedford Housing volunteer, social worker & activist

An upstander is a person “who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause…who recognizes when something is wrong and acts to make it right….being socially responsible.”

Let’s start with the hard stuff. While debates in Brunswick ensue about the need and location for a new and expanded homeless shelter with comprehensive services, real-time crises continue to catapult individuals and families from housing to homelessness. The shelter for single adults on Cumberland St. is always filled to capacity with daily calls from many more seeking shelter. The same holds true for all of 8 of the properties managed by Tedford Housing. People served include adults, teenagers, families and elders experiencing one of life’s most stressful events.

The social safety net in Brunswick is strong but must be responsive to ever changing needs.

The good news is that there are many among us who have been stepping up to assist Tedford Housing for a very long time. They do this by volunteering to provide daily evening meals to the adult shelter guests. The monetary value of these contributions is enormous, but the nourishment and dignity afforded to those who are struggling is priceless.

For the past 8 years I have coordinated the Meal-A-Month program, and it has been my pleasure to witness the many upstanders in our midst.

At the present time there are around 27 individuals, church and neighborhood groups, the college, businesses and restaurants providing a full dinner to the guests of Tedford’s adult shelter almost every evening of the year. And they’ve been at it, in some cases, for decades. These volunteers prepare and deliver delicious home-cooked meals to the shelter by 5:00pm without fanfare. These reliable, self-directed folks have their own reasons for participating in this program – be it their faith in action, commitment to community service, being good neighbors, or just because it’s the right thing to do.

Over this past summer, I had the opportunity to consult with Annie Rose, an intern at Tedford Housing. In her capacity as the Bowdoin College Community Service Fellow, Annie worked on several projects, including the Meal-A-Month program, where she successfully transitioned the monthly calendar to an online scheduling program. Annie’s computer literacy skills enabled me to step away from a particularly labor intensive task, freeing up time to focus on other aspects of the program. Since I enjoy networking the old fashioned way, I am planning to recruit more community partners to join the cadre of meal preparers, and I know you are out there!

If you’ve been wanting to be part of a solution, this volunteer opportunity might be the perfect fit. No particular cooking experience is needed, and we are happy to help you in figuring out quantities and menu planning. Some groups cook together, while others prefer working solo. Volunteers can sign up for a regular day (i.e. the first Monday, etc.) and others work better on a fill-in basis. Perhaps you could organize a group of friends, people from your exercise or yoga class, or co-workers / colleagues to prepare a meal. If you would like to hear first-hand from someone who’s done this for a while, I will be happy to make that connection.

Yes, there is much strife in the world and it can be hard to know how to alleviate human suffering, but as Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Working together, sharing our time and resources, our town’s many upstanders can shine a light to those in need in our own backyard.

If you are interested in preparing, delivering or serving a dinner monthly or on a one-time basis, contact Jennifer Iacovelli, Director of Development at 207-729-1161, #101 or email. 

Filed Under: Giving, News & Events Tagged With: adult shelter, community support, Giving Voice, Joanne Rosenthal, Meal-A-Month, Tedford Housing, Times Record, volunteering

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