Sometime shortly after Christmas, Knox County Homeless Coalition/Hospitality House Executive Director Stephanie Primm recalls a delightful discovery.
“We recently just finished our Welcome Center, renovated by Habitat for Humanity, which was the garage attached to Hospitality House. This is a brand new intake and Welcome Center, which has two private meeting rooms, a laundry facility, a bathroom with a shower and a front desk. Now having that Welcome Center finished has improved the quality of our services and allows us to give better service to families needing attention and the start of Case Management.”
“So, Peter, [owner of North Atlantic Painting] snuck in two crew members without me even realizing it over a weekend and painted the whole thing in six hours,” she said. “It was so under the radar. He had threatened to help us and got Habitat For Humanity to arrange it, then just showed up and did it. It is only because of Peter and so many in our community that we have been able to help the hundreds of homeless families here in the Midcoast.”
The new Welcome Center now has a fresh coat of off-white paint throughout to lend a calming feeling to the rooms. “He took care of it and it was just really sweet,” said Primm. “In addition, this new space allows us to provide families living in Hospitality House more privacy and comfort. People in desperate situations can come in, get a shower and do their laundry. When they are feeling taken care of then we can have a conversation in the meeting room about how to help them.”
Not only does the Welcome Center take care of clients’ immediate comfort needs, but there is also a “store” within Hospitality House’s barn that allows people to choose (for free) from among various donated items such as food, warm coats and boots, job interview clothing, and household items. For more information visit: http://homehelphope.org
