A Bangor warming shelter is expanding to serve more people after receiving a grant from Penobscot County.
Jericho Road Ministries is adding a second bathroom and shower, an additional washer and dryer, more space to serve food and more tables, Director Mel Coombs said. The expansion is possible because Penobscot County commissioners gave the ministry $14,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The number of people served by the warming center surged. Last year about 20 people visited each day, but the shelter has seen up to 60 people a day and about 40 on average this year, Coombs said.
The warming shelter at 146 Center St., behind The River Church, opened last year with one bathroom, a small laundry space and an area to serve food. Volunteers can’t make food on site, but bring in meals using slow cookers, Coombs said.
“It was really needed,” Coombs said. “If we were still in the same space as last year, we’d be very cramped. This way people don’t have to sit on top of each other.”
The shelter serves around 125 cups of coffee, breakfast and lunch six days a week. People can come inside, get warm, take showers and do their laundry. They also hand out clean clothes to people.
Everyone who comes through the doors are treated with dignity and respect, Coombs said. The shelter doesn’t allow anyone to be intoxicated within the premises and they try to help people get into substance use recovery.
“It’ll allow us to get everything finished,” Coombs said. “We’ve got a lot of loose ends. It will allow us to provide a larger finished space that looks neat and clean.”
