Hope Squad Maine

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Ocean Park, ME
Hope Squad Maine

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A mobile volunteer-driven outreach group providing resources & compassion to Portland, Maine's unhoused community t all started with an old ambulance.

In November 2022, founder, Matt Brown, bought it with a simple idea: a safe, warm place to listen, provide support, and offer resources to Portland, Maine’s unhoused community. What began with hot cocoa and blankets quickly grew as the need became clear. His wife, Nancy, soon joined as a co-founder, bringing her calm, loving presence and helping turn the vision into the volunteer-driven outreach it is today.

11/05/2026

The holidays are coming! Give a gift of HOPE and help our unhoused neighbors!
Do your holiday shopping and support our ongoing outreach efforts at the same time. Order beautiful holiday bulbs to brighten home and spirit. Hope Squad Maine will receive up to 50% of all proceeds.

Pictured: Snowman Sweater Red Amaryllis, no water or soil needed -- just add light!

The amaryllis bulb under this sweater is specially prepared with a protective layer so that it may bloom without water, or soil. Amaryllis will grow in low light settings which make them perfect for nearly any indoor spot in a house, apartment or office. It's the perfect gift for gardeners and non-gardeners alike!

http://hopesquadmaine.fpfundraising.com/

Don't forget to share with your flower-loving friends and family!

* Orders start shipping out mid-November. *

11/04/2026

Our mission is to see those that are invisible; to hear those that have no voice, and to reinforce the infinite value and worth of each person we meet.

We fulfill this mission, with your support, by providing a loving, compassionate and consistent presence, needed resources, hope and love for those who often feel forgotten. While our volunteers deliver goods and love, this is a community effort. As a volunteer-powered nonprofit, we literally cannot do what we do without you!

If you are wondering how you can support our unhoused and unsheltered neighbors, we hope that you will consider helping us with our top needs of the week. If you do not have the ability to give it this time, that's okay too. Sharing and commenting on this post to help spread the word is another (free) way to help!

*** TOP NEEDS 11/4/26 ***

1. THERMAL UNDERWEAR (tops & bottoms, all adult sizes)- Our unsheltered friends all need a good base layer to help them stay warm during these colder months. If you have some clean, gently used thermal tops or bottoms that need a new home we would love to have them.

2 FLAVORED SPECIALTY/HERBAL TEA BAGS (individually wrapped only, no Celestial brand tea)- Many of the shelter guests are senior citizens and/or have medical restrictions which keep them from drinking coffee/ caffeine. The choice of herbal tea offers a nice alternative to coffee and is very popular with guests of all ages at the shelter, especially during cold and flu season! Buy locally or order online via our Amazon wish list, https://a.co/5iFfzTD.

3. LOTION / MOISTURIZER (Travel size) – It's the beginning of dry skin season! Many of our friends have skin issues that require daily lotion however this is not an item they have easy access to.

For easy ordering visit our Amazon wish list or source locally and mail to the address below.
***

🔹Amazon wish list🔹
https://a.co/5iFfzTD

🔹 Updated Seasonal wish list 🔹
https://hopesquadmaine.org/hope-squad-maine-seasonal-wishlist/

👉 Shipping Address
Hope Squad Maine C/o Kristen Archambeault, 362 Hill Street, Biddeford ME 04005.

👉 Donation Drop off:
Church of the Nazarene, 525 Highland Ave, South Portland, back of the building.

👉 Make a financial gift:
https://hopesquadmaine.org/donate/
****

11/03/2026

Did you know you can support Hope Squad Maine with your returnables?? 🤔

Here’s how:

1. Ask Any Volunteer for a CLYNK Bag ~
You can request a bag with our tag on it from any of our volunteers. Fill it up with your returnables and bring it to the drop off collection centers at your local Hannaford. It’s easy!

2. Ask us to mail you bag tags! Please email [email protected]

3. If you work in an office setting, ask if they will collect cans & bottles for Hope Squad Maine.

4. Donate Online ~ Log into your CLYNK account online and choose to donate your balance to HOPE SQUAD MAINE. Scroll to our organization and select it.

It may not seem like a lot, but it all adds up! $100 will help us purchase 26 cases of water! 💦

Your contribution, no matter how small, makes a significant impact on our mission to support the unhoused community in Portland. 🙏❤️

Thank you for your continued support! Please SHARE!

11/02/2026

Give a gift of HOPE and help our unhoused neighbors!

Do your holiday shopping and support our ongoing outreach efforts at the same time. Order beautiful holiday bulbs to brighten home and spirit. Hope Squad Maine will receive up to 50% of all proceeds.

Pictured: White and Gold Waxed Amaryllis, no water or soil needed — just add sun! Perfect gift for somebody who loves flowers but doesn’t have a green thumb.

http://hopesquadmaine.fpfundraising.com/ (direct link in bio)

Don’t forget to share with your flower-loving friends and family!

* Orders start shipping out mid-November. QR code in comments*

11/02/2026

🩵 Volunteer Spotlight: Laura K! 🩵

Laura is the voice behind the thank-you letters our donors receive. She keeps our donor records organized and makes sure no gift goes unthanked. She has
been helping in this capacity for several years now! 🙏🏻

What keeps her coming back: “I enjoy
being the voice of HSM in our thank-you
letters. I was especially glad to be part
of last December’s fundraiser, “Keep
Hope Rolling,” which generated so
many messages of gratitude.” ❤️

Who taught her to show up for
others: Her parents, and sometimes
even Mr. Rogers.

Her desired superpower: To gently
erase someone’s mental illness with a
touch, so they could feel like themselves
and believe in themselves again.

On her bucket list: Seeing the Wanaka
Tree in New Zealand. 🌳

11/01/2026

✨🚑 HSM Outreach Report 🚑✨

🏠 Served Shelter: 78
🛣️ Served Street: 127

This week’s report comes from our wonderful volunteer, Michele, who shared:

“I was sweating by 8:30 am hauling pastries up the stairs at our new FBC Westbrook space! 😅 Leaves are falling 🍁 and winter is coming ❄️, but the sun ☀️ gave us one more warm day. The shelter crowd was lighter, so we got real time to hear how our friends are doing and how they look out for each other 🫶

Zahira, Fran, and Laura kept bingo alive while Debbie was away 🎉 Elaine and Steve showed up as a gorilla and a witch 🦍🧙‍♀️ and soon we were all in costume! On Cotton Street, the 100 Halloween candy bags were a huge hit 🎃🍬

A warm meal, some clothes, and a little kindness can mean everything. Showing up matters. Community matters. 💛 Hope Squad will be there every Friday, rain or shine.”

🙏 Please share this post or donate at hopesquadmaine.org/donate

11/01/2026

LOOKING FOR LEFTOVER HALLOWEEN CANDY!

We would love your leftover candy for our unhoused neighbors!

Last year we collected 48 lbs. of leftover Halloween candy, divided it up into individual packages and passed it out to our friends at the shelter and on the street. It would be wonderful to meet or beat that number again this year!

Please consider sending your leftover Halloween candy our way or if you see some post-Halloween candy deals, consider picking up a bag or two to donate!

When you're at the lowest point of your life, receiving small items that bring joy can make a big difference! Thank you for helping us spread joy!

👉 Donation Drop off:
Church of the Nazarene, 525 Highland Ave, South Portland, back of the building.

10/28/2026

Most of us had the privilege to wake up in a warm house this morning. Imagine what it's like to spend your nights outside in this cold with no way to get warm.

The shelters in Portland are full. The plan for the emergency warming shelter is still being worked out by the city, so it has not opened yet. The bottom line is there are not enough shelter beds to accommodate everyone who needs one, leaving some of our most vulnerable neighbors outdoors in life threatening cold.

Our mission is to see those that are invisible; to hear those that have no voice, and to reinforce the infinite value and worth of each person we meet. We hope that you will consider supporting our outreach efforts by helping us with our top needs for the week.

If you do not have the ability to give it this time, that's okay too. Sharing and commenting on this post to help spread the word is another (free) way to help!

*** TOP NEEDS 10/28/26 ***

1. MEN'S JEANS! (Men 30 – 36, gently used welcomed.) - Jeans in the right size and in good condition are a challenge to find for our unhoused friends, especially the men. If you're ever wondering what to donate, men's jeans are ALWAYS needed. A good pair of jeans goes a long way to keeping our friends comfortable and safe.

2. HAND, BODY & TOE WARMERS - Emergency warming supplies can make the difference between life and death for our unhoused neighbors. Our friends request these constantly. They put them in their pockets, in their gloves, in their shoes. They tape them to their base layers and put them in their sleeping bags. These warmers are literally survival gear. Buy locally or order online via our Amazon wish list, https://a.co/5iFfzTD.

3. PEANUT BUTTER CRACKERS - Peanut butter crackers are a favorite item and the staple in our to-go bags. With only one meal service a day being consistently provided on the streets of Portland, portable snacks are a critical need.
For easy ordering visit our Amazon wish list or source locally and mail to the address below.

***
🔹Amazon wish list🔹
https://a.co/5iFfzTD

🔹 Updated Seasonal wish list 🔹
https://hopesquadmaine.org/hope-squad-maine-seasonal-wishlist/

👉 Shipping Address
Hope Squad Maine C/o Kristen Archambeault, 362 Hill Street, Biddeford ME 04005.

👉 Donation Drop off:
Church of the Nazarene, 525 Highland Ave, South Portland, back of the building.

👉 Make a financial gift:
https://hopesquadmaine.org/donate/
****

Address

Ocean Park, ME
04063

Website

http://www.hopesquadmaine.org/

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