the staff at Outreach helped her search for housing she could af-ford. Application after application was either denied or put onto long waiting lists.

The day Outreach Director Marc Madore called her to say New Beginnings could help her with funds to rent her own apartment, Sara just cried with relief.

As her Outreach case worker, Marc helped her through the whole pro-cess of finding an apart-ment that was safe and where her rent was af-fordable based on her income. In November 2011, Sara moved into

It was a spring morning just one year ago, when 17-year-old Sara* opened the door to her very own apartment for the first time. Sara had big dreams—she had gradu-ated high school and started nursing school, all while working to sup-port herself and her young son.

But hard work and good grades hadn’t been enough to keep a stable roof over their heads. Sara and her son had been staying with a se-ries of friends for over a year. At the end of each month there just wasn’t enough money left to pay her part of the rent.

At risk of homelessness, Sara had started coming to the Outreach Drop-In Center for support in 2010. She knew that she

wanted to provide a more stable childhood for her son than she had known growing up, so

Opening Doors to Housing for Young Mom

Outreach Staff Drums up Enthusiasm This interview with New Beginnings Youth Worker Jessy Kendall was conducted at Trinity Jubilee Center, one of the downtown Lewiston places Jessy goes to do street outreach every week.

As we talked, Jessy greeted and was approached by sev-eral young people who were glad to see him during his usual neighborhood “rounds.”

What made you want to work at Outreach, and what do you do there?

I have worked for New Beginnings for 8 years, first at the shelter and Transitional Living Pro-gram and then at the Outreach Drop-In Center. I always wanted

to work at Outreach. I worked at Preble Street before I moved to Lewis-ton, so I knew the popu-lation and the power of sitting down to do activi-ties together. Now I work at Drop-In four days per week, and run Activity Night on Thurs-

WWW.NEWBEGINMAINE.ORG 436 MAIN ST LEWISTON, ME 04240 207-795-4077 Spring 2012

New Beginnings News

New Beginnings Announcements:

Volunteers needed to cook a meal for 40 youth on a

Tues. or Thurs. at drop-in. Contact Ethan 795-4076

Training for “Be Proud! Be Responsible!” curriculum May 9-10, 2012. Details at www. newbeginmaine.org

Annual 5K Race will be held fall 2012, date TBA

Inside this Issue SPOTLIGHT ON:

YOUTH

Opening Doors 2 PROGRAMS

Winter Challenge 2

STAFF INTERVIEW

Jessy Kendall 3 DONOR

Mechanics Bank 3 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Annual Meeting 4

SPECIAL INSERT

2011 Annual Report

*Youth’s name changed to protect confidentiality continued on page 2

continued on page 3

Sometimes overcoming a new challenge is the best way to show youth just how capable they really are. New Beginnings’ Adventure Challenge program, and espe-cially the February trip, accomplishes just that.

For the past 22 years, Youth Development Coordinator Ethan May has been taking youth on a three-day backcountry camping trip in the NH White Mountains. “We started these trips be-cause we wanted a unique and very demanding out-ing where the youth could experience success through effort,” says Ethan, “and it is gorgeous in the winter in the mountains, something most of the youth have never experienced.”

This year, a small, hardy crew of youth and staff set off for the area near Wild-cat Mountain midweek during February vacation.

Snowshoes helped the group hike the mile or so into the backcountry to establish a “base camp.”

Everyone wore packs con-taining their waterproof clothing and personal items, and hauled cooking gear and tents on sleds behind them. Once a good camp site was found, all efforts focused on collect-ing firewood before dark.

The signature challenge on this trip was the 3.5 mile uphill hike from the base camp up to Carter Notch. For youth more used to texting than exer-cise, making even part of

the climb was an accom-plishment! One youth who had not gone all the way to the to the top last

year was determined to make it this time. Half-way up, a problem-solving opportunity arose when another youth couldn’t go on.

The group talked over the pros and cons with safety in mind and came up with a plan for one staff and the tired youth to return to camp while the other 2 staff forged ahead with the

other youths. With persis-tence, the hikers made it to the top. Pride was evident on the youths’ triumphant faces upon their return.

Ethan sums it up this way: “Youth learn the skills to not only survive but to re-main comfortable, which requires self-reliance and teamwork. Fundamentally, people learn from being challenged. If this trip was easy, it would not be worth doing.”

Making It to the Top: a Winter Adventure

“It gives me

hope that

youth really

can change...

and create a

better future.”

Page 2

Opening Doors to Housing, continued cision to graduate and start college before she was even 18! It gives me hope that our youth really can change the situation that they were born into and create a better future, because I am watching someone do it right in front of me!”

Today, with New Begin-nings’ support, Sara feels secure in her ability to

succeed and complete her degree. When asked what would be different if she hadn’t come to New Begin-nings, Sara says, “I don't know if I'd be in school anymore… with the stress of school and having to look for a (safe) place to live, I inevitably would have dropped out. Now I’m looking forward to graduating and starting a new chapter in my life.”

one of the New Begin-nings’ Community Living Program apartments. There, Sara works with CLP caseworker Jennifer Simpson. Jennifer says, “It is a pleasure to work with Sara because she has overcome so many obsta-cles on her own at such a young age … it is remark-able that she had her son at age 15 and then made the incredibly mature de-

“Being myself

reinforces

that it is safe

for youth to

be themselves

here, too”

Page 3

Each issue of the newslet-ter, we plan to highlight a donor that is making a difference for New Begin-nings. Mechanics Savings Bank has made a signifi-

cant contribution to the Annual Fund for more than 10 years. Consistent donations are an essential source of unrestricted funds for the agency.

Donor Spotlight: Mechanics Bank Bank Marketing Director Lisa Halley says, “We be-lieve in giving back to the community, which is so important.” Thank you, Mechanics Savings Bank!

I host a meditation group, publish my own ‘zine, make mosaics, write poet-ry, record digital beats, and have some film shorts in the L/A film festival.

You’re a renaissance man! New Beginnings bought a building to ren-ovate which will have a new, much larger Drop-In Center. What are you most looking forward to about the new space?

So many things – first, there is a gym with a stage which will be great for performances. It’ll be so great to have a real art room so more supplies could stay available and not worry so much about cleaning up every little bit

day evenings. Arts activi-ties rotate through the month, with “Open Mic” where youth recite poetry, rap, sing, or play music being very popular. In terms of visual art, right now the youth are making colorful tile mosaics.

How did you get con-vinced of the power of the arts to build rela-tionships?

A creative activity is usually neutral and not too threatening to the youth. If staff are trying too hard it can backfire. It was so much better once I started just being myself, putting out the materials and working on the projects. Then youth would come over and sit down and we’d starting making things.

Conversation flows and trust develops. We get to know each other natural-ly. I don’t push them or ask too much about the hard things they are deal-ing with. The activity lays the groundwork so they’re more likely to come to me later when they really do need to talk.

I saw the recent Sun Journal article about your drumming group. What other creative arts interest you personally?

every time. And the kitch-en! It is so insane cooking for 40+ youth in the tiny kitchen we have now.

I’ve heard from other staff that youth really like you – why do you think so?

Really? Cool. I like this population because they are leaders – not in the traditional box of “model citizen” – far from that. But they have a realness and they have taught me so much, too.

I respect their struggle, somewhat like mine was growing up – they’re “my people.” I understand how it can be hard to fit into society, and fitting into the system when you are homeless is even so much harder. I think they respect that I bring who I am – being myself rein-forces that it is safe for youth to be themselves, here, too.

Outreach Staff Drums up Enthusiasm, continued

Jessy Kendall

Help stock the new building’s art room:

colorful ceramic or glass pieces to break for mosaics

grout powder (finely sanded white or antique white)

“Liquid Nails” adhesive tie-dye kits beading supplies

scrapbooks & journals sketchbooks paints & brushes

Complete agency wish list online: www.newbeginmaine.org

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LEWISTON, ME 04240

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PERMIT NO. 80 www.newbeginmaine.org

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The 2012 Annual Meeting of the New Beginnings Board of Directors will be held Thursday, April 26 at the Royal Oak Room at Ironhorse Court in Lewiston.

A reception and dinner begins at 5:30 pm, with the election of the Board and officers at 7:45 pm. The board will welcome new members Gina Catterson, Lorna Healey, and Jennifer Lowell and recognize Vicki Stuart for her years of service on New Beginnings’ Board.

The evening’s guest speaker will be Cathy Kidman, a long-standing colleague of New Beginnings who combines her varied career in HIV prevention, youth work, and nonprofit leadership with her talent for stand-up comedy.

Please call 795-4077 if you’d like to attend.

Board to Hold Annual Meeting