From 2020 to 2023, the number of homeless people in Maine more than tripled. Even before the pandemic, Maine’s emergency shelters were receiving more requests than they could accommodate. Tedford Housing, a homelessness prevention organization whose programs include two emergency shelters, is determined to provide an effective response. In addition to providing a safe place for guests to rebuild their lives, staff provides intensive case management and community service orientation support. Tedford is supporting additional homeless and at-risk neighbors on an outreach basis. This summer, the organization will begin construction on a new emergency shelter building with greater capacity—thanks in part to help from generous neighbors.
Tedford was founded by the Brunswick Area Interfaith Council. Retired minister and Highland Green resident Frank Strasburger got involved in 2022 when Carolyn Eklund, a retired Episcopalian priest and council president, asked him to join a campaign committee seeking to raise $8.3 million for the construction project. “Faith communities have always been one of the biggest pillars of support for Tedford,” says executive director Andrew Lardie. “Carolyn knew Frank would have compassion for the cause.” For Strasburger, the involvement felt natural. “The biblical principle of hospitality is part of what we are about as clergy,” he says. “We welcome people to our tables and under our roofs.”
Tedford’s shelters are considered emergency housing because, regardless of the length of an individual or family’s stay, the focus is on helping them move into stable housing. During each guest’s intake, Tedford staff reviews the obstacles that led to their housing crisis and discusses how to address each obstacle individually. “Some people may be working, but their landlord sold the apartment out from under them,” Lardie says. “The solution for that person is relatively simple.” For others who may have no income or health stability, the path to permanent housing can be more complicated. “There is no cap on how long someone can stay at Tedford,” Lardie says.
Tedford’s primary service area includes 40 coastal cities between Portland and Rockland, but demand is outpacing what current facilities can provide – 16 beds for homeless adults and six units for families with children. “Last year, requests for shelter were seven times our capacity,” Lardie says. “We need to do more.” The new building will increase shelter capacity by 60 percent and consolidate shelters for adults, families and administrative offices on one campus. Groundbreaking is planned for August, and the facility is expected to open in fall 2025.
Three years ago, Strasburger moved to Highland Green, a 55-and-over community on 265 acres in Topsham. When he was tasked with helping raise capital for Tedford, his first thought was to involve his neighbors. “Highland Green is full of wonderful people, many of whom are very philanthropic,” Strasburger says. “This was an opportunity for me to get involved locally.”
Strasburger met with neighbors to inform them about Tedford’s services and the new building. “I had a goal of raising $100,000, but I never told anyone because they would have thought I was crazy,” he says. In fact, residents raised twice that amount. Highland Green founder John Wasileski matched the first $150,000 and then asked residents to raise another $50,000, which he would also match. The total donation of $400,000 will allow the group to name the family wing after Highland Green. “We don’t want the publicity, but we want to say it loud and clear: We’re here for you,” Strasburger says.
Greg and Donna Barmore have known Tedford’s work since they bought their home in Harpswell in 1994. They moved to Highland Green in 2017 and were happy to contribute to the fundraiser. “When Tedford came in with a plan to consolidate its facilities and put its services directly with its clients, it was a hit,” Greg says. “It’s exciting that they raised so much money so quickly, and now we get to see the building go up.”
Don and Judy Auten moved to Highland Green from Pennsylvania in 2016. The couple attended a presentation about Tedford at Strasburger’s home and were impressed by the sustainability of the organization and its programs. “People need a place where they feel safe and secure,” says Don. “It’s important that we help our neighbors as much as we can.”
Lardie says one reason the campaign has been so successful is because the housing crisis has highlighted that homelessness can affect anyone. “We’re proud and excited that people are getting so involved,” Lardie says. “However, the effort from Frank and his neighbours in Highland Green and the additional support from John in this campaign is absolutely unique. No one else has mobilised anything like this and that’s really exciting.”
Strasburger hopes the support will help people understand how much Highland Green residents care about the broader community. “We’re not locked down, but to the public it might look that way,” he says. “I felt like we needed to get past that. We’re your neighbors, you’re our neighbors, and we really want to be there for you.”
