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| Dear friends of Homeworthy,
As we settle into the cold Maine winter, we are confronted with the harsh reality that many of our neighbors are without shelter, enduring the elements in makeshift sheds, campers, tents, and vehicles. Homeworthy is working with over 40 households struggling to find warmth and safety during this difficult season due to the statewide shortage of shelter beds and housing.
Due to their living situations, none of these individuals are eligible for state or federal heating assistance, leaving them to turn to local charities for help. The truth is, our local organizations cannot sustain the level of need we are seeing. To stay warm enough to survive, these families and individuals are spending $75-125 a week on fuel—an amount that quickly adds up.
Homeworthy is creating a designated heating fund to provide direct support for purchasing heating solutions for our unsheltered neighbors. But we cannot do it alone.
We am asking for your support in this urgent time of need. Any contribution you can offer will go directly toward helping keep someone warm during these cold months. Together, we can make a meaningful difference for those who are struggling most.
Thank you for your generosity and standing with us as we fight to ensure that every human has a home. |
| | Wishing you a peaceful start to this new year, |
|  | Molly Feeney Executive Director, Homeworthy |
| | Save the Date: Benefit Concert for Homeworthy |
| Join us for a special evening of music and community! On February 8, the Good Trouble Project will host a fundraiser concert at Pascal Hall in Rockport to benefit Homeworthy. The Good Trouble Project, founded by singer-songwriters John and Rachel Nicholas, brings intimate acoustic music shows to support local causes, honoring the legacy of civil rights leader John Lewis.
The show features four incredible singer-songwriters: award-winning Sara Trunzo, public school music teacher Kate Fiano, Maine-rooted Andre Lascoutz, and your hosts, John and Rachel Nicholas. |
| | | 📅 When: February 8, 7PM
📍 Where: Pascal Hall, 86 Pascal Ave, Rockport
🎟 Admission: $15 (Reserve seats by calling John at 508-314-1506)
Proceeds from this event will support Homeworthy’s mission to end homelessness through innovative housing solutions and family-centered care. Special thanks to the Lesher Family Foundation, Ken Wexler, and Tom O’Donovan for their generous support.
Don’t miss this night of inspiring music for a great cause! |
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| TULA Institute's Karma Project Supports TLP |
|  | Coming up this February, TULA Institute's yoga teacher training program is turning compassion into action through their Karma Project to benefit The Landing Place.
TULA will be hosting a donation drive for hygiene products with multiple drop-off locations across the area (see poster above for list of locations). Your contributions will help us keep our Youth Free Store running, providing essential items to those who need them most. |
| |  | We want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to Jess Shepard/Uproot Pie Co. for their unwavering support of Homeworthy and our mission. This incredible local business consistently steps up to make a difference! In the fall, Uproot Pie Co. hosted a donation drive during their popular pizza nights, collecting sleeping bags and blankets for our Urgent Needs program. Then, in December, they organized a successful maker’s market and holiday celebration, donating a portion of the event proceeds to Homeworthy. This business truly understands the importance of building a stronger community for all of us. |
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|  | Another incredible local business that supports Homeworthy is Ewing Fruit Co! Ewing Fruit Co is Arla Casselman and John Grote’s 70 acre MOFGA-certified organic wild blueberry farm based in Warren, Maine. Besides selling their delicious wild blueberries all across Maine, they’re also known for their iconic blueberry sriracha and blueberry cider vinegar, which can be found at local retailers in the area. Each summer, they offer a presale for folks to bulk buy their blueberries, and this past year, a portion of the proceeds from each blueberry sale was donated to Homeworthy! Small actions like these make a real difference for non-profits like ours. We’re so lucky to be in community with folks who believe in the work that we do. Thank you! |
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|  | Tax season is right around the corner! Dave Perry is a local tax professional who offers income tax preparation in exchange for donations to local non-profits. During the 2024 tax season, Dave’s work inspired more than $20,000 in donations to local non-profits, including Homeworthy!
Please email Dave for more info if you’d like to work with him and make a donation to Homeworthy. If you’re interested, reach out soon, as consultations about your tax needs are preferred before the busy tax season is in full swing. We’d love for you to consider partnering with Dave to get your taxes filed and help Homeworthy as well! |
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| The Landing Place Holiday Party: A Joyous Success |
| | This past December, The Landing Place hosted a festive Holiday Party for our local youth community. There was a holiday market filled with donated gifts like toys, art supplies, and children’s bikes, where attendees were able to pick out and wrap presents for their loved ones. There were decorations all around the Drop-In Center, including a TLP tree adorned with handmade ornaments.
Thanks to The Dry Dock restaurant, everyone was able to enjoy a delicious donated meal, and we shared a heartfelt moment around the campfire to express gratitude and honor absent loved ones.
Each of the 60 attendees received a special TLP gift bag, featuring homemade treats, a fleece blanket, an art kit generously donated by the Farnsworth, and a TLP water bottle. |
| Thank You for Your Incredible Support! |
|  | Thanks to your generosity, we surpassed our $50,000 matching goal during this year’s annual appeal! We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to this milestone.
Your support fuels our mission to end homelessness and build a stronger, more compassionate community. Together, we’re creating real and lasting change. Thank you for making this possible. |
| | Volunteer Spotlight: Merle Rockwell & Ed ModellMerle and Ed are longtime supporters and volunteers at The Landing Place, and have contributed substantially to the culture and community at TLP for many years. We sat down to chat with them and learn more about why they choose to give their time to TLP. |
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| Q: How long have you volunteered at TLP? How did you first get involved and how has your role evolved over the years? A: We got involved around 2019, when Ed met Joseph through his work on the Restorative Justice Project. We were both very impressed with Joseph - he always has the best attitude, and has managed to create such a special safe place for local kids. We are both trained mediators, and felt like our skills could be helpful in assisting TLP with their important work. Our volunteer role has evolved over the years, first starting out making warm suppers for the Drop-In Center a few times a month - mac & cheese with hidden peas was one of our classic meals. Nowadays, we like to give back in multiple ways, like ordering or cooking meals for the monthly in-person staff meeting, finding items off the TLP Wish List, or encouraging friends and family to get involved with TLP’s work somehow. We also work with the Transitional Living program at TLP to help furnish youth apartments and find essential items like towels and bedding.
Q: What’s your favorite part about volunteering at TLP? A: There are so many things we love, but we are especially fond of supporting TLP’s staff. It’s kind of like a mutual moment of gratitude; we’re grateful for the work they’re doing, they’re grateful for the support (and food) we can give, and in turn all that gratitude benefits the kids. One month, Merle made tiramisu from scratch as a dessert - that was certainly a hit!
Q: What do you wish the general public knew about TLP? A: We hope folks know how important it is to have a safe space like this for the youth in our area. Merle always says, “make a difference where you are”, and that’s true. We encourage everyone around us to get in touch with Joseph and drop by The Landing Place sometime, just to see how special it is and busy it can get! We’re grateful that our lives have made it possible that we can make a difference and give back in the way we do. We hope that folks try and get involved in their local community - working with TLP has brought a lot of joy to our lives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From the bottom of our collective hearts: Thank you, Ed and Merle, for your steadfast support of The Landing Place and Homeworthy. |
| | We’re so thankful for our community. |
| As always, if you or someone you know and love needs assistance and is experiencing homelessness—please reach out to Homeworthy at 207-593-8151 or email us at info@homeworthy.org. |
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