It Takes a Village 207

06/16/2026

Some good educational content from Streetdrjill. Thanks Jill!

06/15/2026

Love this

06/14/2026

I can't stop reflecting about something that happened last night.
Around 9:30 PM, we stopped at McDonald's in Sanford. Earlier in the evening, we'd been out handing out cold drinks and snacks to some of our unhoused friends. The heat was brutal, & ppl are really struggling, so we decided to go back out with more supplies. On the way, we had to stop for the bathroom, and decided to pick up 40 nuggets to share.
When we walked in, we saw two friends. We stood talking with them while we waited for the food. One of the men was showing me his wounds, most very visible. . He has advanced MS. Walking is difficult, and he falls often. To get around faster, he rides a bike, but unfortunately that leads to even more falls. We got him an electric scooter 2 years ago, but when you have no home, charging it is impossible. He had gashes on his face, his legs, and injuries all over his body.
As we stood there, I noticed two customers staring from the moment they saw us. The looks. The expressions. The whispers. You know the kind.
Then I heard what they said. They assumed the wounds were from drug use. What they didn't know was that this man was sober. Does he look exhausted? Absolutely. But so do many of the people we meet. When you're constantly being moved along, unable to rest....and trying to survive in this heat, exhaustion shows.
The other man standing there...He looked great!!! He was actually on his way to the hospital to begin the process of entering rehab.
Normally, I would have spoken up. Anyone who knows me knows that staying quiet isn't exactly my strength. But I knew both of their stories. If I had let them know they were being judged and called a word I refuse to repeat because I hate it so much, it could have changed the entire evening.
Instead, I just stood there thinking about how little we truly know about the people around us.
A person's appearance does not tell you their story. Their wounds do not tell you their story. Their struggles do not tell you their story.
Judging says nothing about the person being judged. It only speaks to the character of the person doing the judging.
Be kind. You never know what battle someone is fighting.

06/13/2026

Big thanks to the continued support of Waterboro Family Dollar, all the staff, and of course the amazing customers. You're help is so greatly appreciated ♥️♥️

06/12/2026

♥️Wednesday 6/10/26 Outreach♥️
This outreach is dedicated to someone we miss very much, & devastating lost June 17, 2025. Not a day goes by that we do not think of Chad, and I'll be making the favorite meal he loved of mine, Loaded Spaghetti. This is on top of the absolutely amazing meal being prepared & donated by St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, Sanford!

Volunteers: Becky, Journey, Dave, Harmonee, Merideth, Lynn, Anne, Jake, Tim, Pam, Donna

This weeks outside partnerships:
💜Will- certified recovery coach Sweetser

Anticipated number of friends: 60+
_____________________________
✅ = Filled | 🫶🏽 = Still Needed
_____________________________

❤️ Hot Main Dishes ❤️

Meal this week by St Therese
✅BBQ Pulled Pork
✅Rolls
✅Garden Salad
✅Fruit Salad

♥️✅♥️ Chads Favorite- Becky's loaded spaghetti

🍰 Dessert: (anything soft, no nuts, no pumkin)
✅Deb and Deb
✅Mystery Baker

Meal beverages:
🫶🏽any individual soda, Gatorade, etc. -

🍽 Supplies

✅Ice for keeping drinks cold Kona Ice of York County

✅ To-go containers

🫶🏽Thick plates-

🫶🏽Paper Towels

✅Bottled Water Nancy Verrill

✅water flavoring packets Nancy

✅ Silverware combo packs –

🎒 To-Go Bag Items
(for that night & the next day)

✅30 PB&J sandwiches (tip: PB on both sides helps them stay fresh & they love white bread) -Woodfords family services

✅30 meat and cheese OR chicken salad etc : Kim Lorde

✅65 pull-tab cans / Hormel Compleats

🫶🏽We could use some individual Carnation instant breakfast drinks (they're on the wishlist )

✅Toilet paper

✅ Men’s socks

✅30 oranges or apples - Elaine Goodwin Baker
✅30 bananas- Elaine Allegra Cann

🫶🏽Juice boxes / light drinks -

🫶🏽Snacks
We are in need of:
Pop tarts
Individual bagged chips

✅Thick Trash bags for the Church -

🫶🏽Small Trash bags for individuals -

✅Body wipes (individually bagged preferred) but big bags are fine as we can separate - Thank you Donna

Venmo if you would rather donate monetarily and we shop (code:7366)

Drop off: 145/1:50 pm St. George's Episcopal Church - Sanford, Maine
(Can pickup up crockpots/pans at 3:30)

🌟 Extras & Wish List
Much-needed items silverware packs, snacks, drinks & more: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/5AS1WA3NCQ9U?ref_=wl_share

Weekly Outreach Reminders
•Drop-off time is 1:40-1:50 PM on Wednesdays,

•Clothing donations are currently being directed to North Parish Congregational Church UCC in Sanford. Mondays and Wednesdays 9 to 12.

•Approved volunteers are scheduled about a month in advance (sometimes two), which helps us keep outreach running smoothly each week.

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

Love The Reach, Biddeford, thanks for all you do 🙂

Join us at The Reach, Biddeford for our next free community meal on Saturday, June 20 from 12-3PM. We will fire up the grill, have some summer food favorites, and share a meal together.

Good food, great conversation, and building community. 🍔🍗🥗

118 Alfred Street, Biddeford. RSVP here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0545AFAA2BAAFFC16-64497055-june

06/12/2026

Stay hydrated everyone

If you thought it was hot and humid today wait until tomorrow. Heat advisory is up.

06/11/2026

It's a little late in the day for Three Dollar Thursday, but we're posting anyway because every bit of support truly matters.
We are currently experiencing some of the lowest donation levels we've seen since starting this program. As a community outreach program, we depend entirely on our community to continue serving our neighbors in need.
Truthfully, it's so hard to depend on a community, when we see the financial struggles, as trust me...we personally feel those some struggles.
If you're able to donate $3, we are incredibly grateful. If you can't donate, we absolutely understand & pls know sharing this post, sharing our wish list and/or commenting helps just as much, and we are equally thankful for that support.
Yesterday's outreach was brutally hot and humid. One of the biggest blessings of the day was something so simple: face cloths soaking in bowls of ice-cold water. As people arrived exhausted, overheated, and struggling in the heat, those cold cloths provided immediate relief. We would love to stock up on more so that on every dangerously hot day, we can continue offering them to our friends who need them. (Wishlist is in the comments)
You may also notice portable fans on our wish list. Many of the individuals we serve live with serious health conditions such as COPD, emphysema, heart disease, and other medical challenges. While a fan can't solve those issues, having cool air blowing on someone during extreme heat can provide comfort and help them feel a little safer and more comfortable while they're with us.
We also have many other ongoing needs, including printer ink so we can continue producing flyers, resource materials, and fundraising information throughout the summer. Need requests by the 100's a month. At the same time, we are working hard to save for the costs associated with establishing our nonprofit as an independent organization. Storage lockers monthly, there's so much behind the scenes.
Whether it's $3, an item from our wish list, a share, or simply helping spread the word, every act of kindness makes a difference.
Three dollars may not seem like much, but when a village comes together, it changes lives.
Thank you for continuing to show up for our community. We couldn't do this without you! 🫶🏽

Links in comments ***