About Us

Mission and History

The Greater Waterville Interfaith Council of Churches founded the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter (MMHS) and opened for services on November 26, 1990. In 2019 we changed our name to Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter & Services to reflect all the progressive work of the shelter. Our mission is to provide safe shelter, food, support services, and an avenue to self-sufficiency for homeless adults in our community. Ending homelessness one person, one child, one family at a time.

We envision a community where homelessness is rare, brief, and a one-time event. Our mission is to provide support to people experiencing homelessness by providing shelter, food, and services to low-income and vulnerable members of the Mid-Maine community.

Vision

Our vision and mission are based on three core values:

1. We believe in the inherent strength of the people we serve and trust they are able to determine the course of their lives and achieve housing stability;
2. We believe in building relationships of mutual trust and respect by recognizing the right of self-determination of everyone and ensuring that underrepresented voices are given an opportunity to influence decisions and speak their truth;
3. We believe that simple, decent, and affordable housing is a right for all people and is necessary for building and sustaining healthy communities.

In order to achieve this vision, this plan organizes our work around 3 key pillars:

Pillar 1: Outstanding Programs

This pillar adopts a Housing First strategy. We will strengthen the Emergency Shelter (including day shelter), YES (Youth Empowerment Services) permanent supported housing for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and Targeted Case Management which works to prevent homelessness.

Pillar 2: Greater Capacity

We need to build organizational capacity. This pillar focuses on setting ambitious financial goals, growing our revenues, board development, building an even stronger base of volunteers, and recruiting and retaining top professional talent.

Pillar 3: Significant Influence

Everyone who visits or experiences MMHSS knows that they’ve just witnessed something special and unique. This pillar builds on this positive foundation and focuses on establishing MMHSS as a recognized authority on poverty, vulnerability, and homelessness and a trusted community partner. This will be achieved through strategic partnerships, effective communication with internal and external stakeholders, and greater advocacy for the people we serve.