Dear Friends,
If ever there was a year to lean in, 2020 was it. KCHC and our services were needed like never before and YOU allowed us to answer the call.
As we think back on the past year and all that we accomplished, we are still drawn to the forward facing thought of the work ahead. How do we get to a place where our vision of a community in which everyone has an equitable opportunity of achieving a home and a hopeful future becomes a reality?
It isn't easy in an area where many people are still shocked to realize we are actively assisting more than 550 people as you read this with only 22 beds in our shelter. But we believe it is achievable. Thank you for making our work possible and supporting our hardworking staff as we address client needs.
Our long-term goal is to shift from the triaging of trauma and homelessness to eventually be more focused on prevention and education. We are confident we can accomplish this through innovation and strategic collaboration with like-minded community partners and forward-thinking donors who share our commitment to meeting the basic needs of real people in our community. We look forward to building a larger circle of compassionate citizens like you who have a deep devotion to the idea that all human beings deserve a fair chance to have a hopeful life. And again, we extend our deepest gratitude for your support.
Our dedicated team dug deep and flexed to meet the soaring need—together we:
Pivoted to telehealth to serve nearly 300 households
Provided phones to families—a lifeline to social service needs and resources
met the exponential increase in food insecurity (initially an 800% increase year over year by month)
provided 8104 nights of emergency life-saving shelter through a combination of Hospitality House Family Shelter, motels, and campgrounds
introduced low-barrier access to mental health and mentoring services at The Landing Place youth program
made weekly deliveries of food, toiletries, art supplies and encouragement to 45 families of our youth
launched the Independent Living Program, the only shelter solution and supportive housing for young adults in the Midcoast
Hospitality House was recognized by Maine State Housing as one of the top two most efficient shelters in the state for providing successful transitions to permanent housing
helped an average of nearly one family a week move into permanent housing despite being in the tightest housing market we’ve seen in seven year
YOU are changing lives and strengthening the future of this community, through your support of and belief in our work. We deeply appreciate you and encourage you read more about the impact of your giving below.
Caroline Morong, Board Chair Stephanie Primm, Executive Director
As the world delivered countless uncertainties, the team at Knox County Homeless Coalition instantly responded with “How can we help?”
When our community faced an increase in homelessness, financial insecurity, poor health, domestic violence, addiction and more, your support allowed our team to answer with kindness, courage, dignity and compassion. We couldn't have done it without donors like you. Thank YOU for leaning in with us!
—Molly Feeney, Director of Social Services
We took a holistic approach to meeting community needs.
Since March 2020 we provided 200% more food support compared to the prior year.
2020 saw total food needs increase an average of 200% over the prior year.
Thanks to amazing supporters like you, volunteers of all ages, and collaborative partnerships with Good Shepherd Food Bank and USDA, we were able to distribute just under 50,000 pounds of food, toiletries, and supplies keeping people safe and sane.
Several local establishments including The Belmont Inn, Blue Harbor House, Cafe Miranda, Captain Swift Inn, Hartstone Inn & Hideaway, Hawthorn Inn, Megunticook Market, Nina June, RAYR and Rock City prepared meals for those being sheltered in locations without cooking facilities and supported the staff and guests at Hospitality House and families connected to our youth program, The Landing Place.
Encouragement and the cadence of regular connection by our staff became just as important as the tangible goods being delivered.
Volunteers sewed hundreds of face coverings for clients and staff. The TLP staff sewed matching face coverings providing connection for the kids even when we couldn’t be together.
Backpacks delivered confidence as one mother of a 17-year-old boy called in tears, to tell us that after years of dropping in and out of school—for the first time ever—her son was ready and excited to go back to school.
Cars became critical during COVID as what little public transportation we had ceased operation. A couple of donated vehicles transformed the lives of two single dads.
I don't think a day goes by when I don't feel that this work is a gift . . .
—Elinor Weismann, Case Manager
. . . at some point every human being needs help to overcome life's challenges.
—Pablo Espinosa, Case Manager
Number of Nights of Emergency Life-Saving Shelter Provided
We answered 80% more emergency service inquiries and increased emergency shelter nights by 16% for as many as 100 people at a time. Still, our active client list grew to 550+ people with as many as 41 households on the waitlist. In 2020 we added a dedicated Mental Health Specialist and piloted a very well received one-on-one low barrier mental health Art Therapy program for youth with a licensed clinician.
We pivoted and changed our delivery channels focusing on telehealth and outreach but held firm to our philosophy of offering everything with dignity, compassion and respect.
Since the onset of COVID-19 we saw:
25% more physical disability,
44% more developmental disability,
12% more disabling mental health issues,
105% more substance use,
40% more alcohol use at time of program entry.
The #1 reason for homelessness here is still the inability to find affordable housing. That is closely by divorce, underscoring the economic challenges of single-earner households.
I want to hold up a mirror and let others know that they are unconditionally important. Despite the shame, stigma, rejection, abuse and trauma they have faced, they are human beings. They deserve a fair chance, kindness and love. I see them. I hear them.
They are very much visible and worthy of life and the pursuit of happiness. We are all, and should be, equal. We are all in this together. We are all human beings, basically chasing the same goals and dreams. Empathy, love, compassion and indignation fuel my work with Knox County Homeless Coalition. I'm motivated and inspired to do this challenging work because of a desire and commitment to help others as I have been helped and pay it forward.
—Bill Meade, Case Manager
We met people where they were and helped them achieve their goals on the way to housing stability.
A motivated single dad
moved into our Hospitality House Family Shelter following the onset of the pandemic after gaining custody of his only child. Because of his love for his son and his dedication to remaining fully engaged in our programming he was able to find housing in less than 5 months! When it turned out that repairs on his van were going to cost more than it was worth, a local repair shop donated a vehicle to him so he could remain employed. He continues to grow and thrive as a parent and community member.
An elderly couple
we met while they were living in a camper. They became homeless after the person they had been residing with passed away. Not only was the camper not fit for habitation but conditions there were exacerbating pre-existing medical issues. Our team helped them navigate disability insurance and helped them secure permanent housing before the onset of winter in a pet-friendly community so they were able to keep their dog.
A hard working family
might become bitter after having purchased a home that turned out to be full of mold, leaving them without at roof over their head. This family however spent their time in shelter focused on spreading kindness to others. While preparing to move into a rental property, they helped shovel, take out the trash, run errands for those who couldn’t, babysat, and together wrote more than 100 holiday greetings for those staying in nursing homes in our area.
A first-time home buyer
we began working with more than 4 years ago, through commitment and perseverance, was recently able to achieve her long-term goal of moving from homelessness to homeownership and hope. Despite job loss and a near fatal relapse brought on by severe postpartum depression along her journey, this client reached out to KCHC when she didn’t know where else to turn. She is now successfully chipping away at past debt and furthering her education.
We remained committed to a multi-generational approach to breaking cycles of poverty and homelessness in the Midcoast.
It's really all about the team. Our mighty little team at The Landing Place is truly committed to one another, and we are really clear on our mission - it is all about the kids and families we serve. There is nothing we can't work through as long as we're working together in honest and real ways.
There is something so empowering to me that people who have greater means are willing to gather together to make a warm supper, and deliver it to The Landing Place. When they stop by in real-time to see the youth working with staff to help carry the suppers inside, set up the tables, pour the lemonade and iced tea, and sort out their plans for the evening after they leave The Landing Place, it has a real ripple effect. These supporters want to do more for the kids too. Since COVID-19 we've been innovating to find ways to keep these relationships and connections strong. We need their support now more than ever.
—Joseph Hufnagel, Director at The Landing Place
One by one, we transformed lives.
We provided innovative programming.
The Independent Living Program
at The Landing Place is the only shelter solution for young people age 18-24 in our Midcoast service area. This supportive housing model provides stability while young people work on long-term housing goals and workforce development as well as budgeting and saving. We welcomed the first residents into the studio apartments in the fall of 2020. View our virtual ribbon cutting ceremony here.
Art Therapy
Spending time with a trusted adult making stuff while talking about life doesn't feel like therapy but our pilot program provided low-barrier access to mental health support—a key area of support we recognized during the pandemic. 99% of the youth we serve have received support with emotional issues including anxiety, depression, loneliness, isolation, self-harm, eating disorders, suicidal statements, crisis intervention, and/or connections to clinical counseling services.
Navigator Support
Hospitality House was recognized by Maine State Housing as one of the top two most efficient shelters in Maine for providing successful transitions to permanent housing. Our dedicated housing staff work with clients on budgeting and finding and applying for housing options that fit within those parameters. They also help clients understand what it takes to be a good tenant, work with a landlord and discover how to achieve longer-term goals like homeownership.
How We Do It
Thanks to the continuation of private philanthropic support both from individuals and foundations that believe in our mission, vision and values as much as we do, we are afforded the latitude to provide our programming with the nuances that we know work, empowering us to keep the client at the center of everything we do.
2020 Income by Source
2020 Expenses by Program
2020 Financials are as of 5/19/2021, rounded to the nearest whole percent.
In 2020 Hospitality House Family Shelter got a significant facelift.
Drainage work that began in 2019 was completed in 2020 moving ground water away from the shelter and adjacent barn. Utilizing a forgivable loan from the Maine State Housing Trust Fund, we upgraded the shelter flooring to easy-clean, commercial-grade, lower allergen vinyl tile. We renovated a bathroom for more functionality, updated the heating system, and painted the interior and exterior. See a behind-the-scenes look at some of the before and after shots in the slideshow below.
Though we are always conscious of the amount of paper we use, we recognize this is a lot of information and the web format may not be for everyone. Download and print a PDF version of this report here, or if you’d rather, we will gladly mail you a printed copy of the 2020 Community Impact Report.
To have a printed copy sent, please fill out the form below. Thank you once again for your interest in our work and belief in our mission.