Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc. has received funding through the Maine State Housing Authority to open temporary overnight warming centers in Calais and Houlton.
“AMHC is pleased to receive this funding through the Maine State Housing Authority to support individuals who are experiencing homelessness during the cold winter months,” explained Michelle Ferris, AMHC chief operations officer. “The overnight warming centers will open on Fridays and Saturdays beginning March 17; additional days and hours will be added as staffing increases.”
The warming centers are located at Downeast Recovery Support Center, 311 Main Street, Calais and at Aroostook Recovery Center of Hope, 106 Main Street, Houlton. Staff will offer a safe, nurturing environment with places for individuals to rest and recline, have snacks, a hot drink, and bottled water. Individuals will be provided an opportunity to receive staff support to seek needed services such as clothing, food, and other community and behavioral health supports as needed.
“The centers will be open through April 30,” said Ferris. “We recognize this service may be an important lifeline to individuals in our community who are having difficulty accessing housing and other services and we look forward to offering our support.” For more information about the warming centers please contact Downeast Recovery Support Center at 207-952-9279 and Aroostook Recovery Center of Hope at 207-254- 2213.
There are immediate openings for temporary staff to support the overnight warming centers. There is an overnight shift differential and a completion bonus for staff who stay through April 30. Shifts are available between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday to Sunday; days and hours worked are flexible based on one’s availability. For more information and to apply, please contact Cory Tilley at [email protected].
Celebrating nearly 60 years, AMHC is a nonprofit organization supporting up to 5,000 individuals annually. The agency has 26 service sites and 350 employees across Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock counties providing mental health, substance use, crisis, and sexual assault services. For more information, please visit AMHC at www.amhc.org.
