Thanks to a collaborative effort between Catholic Charities Maine, students at Saint Joseph’s College, and St. Michael Parish in Augusta, hundreds of homeless individuals and families in the Augusta area will experience a warmer winter.

As part of “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week,” a national event promoting the plight of those without a home or living in poverty, over 20 Saint Joseph’s College students participated in a weatherization project sponsored by St. Michael Parish in Augusta. The students slept outside in the cold on a November night to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness issues in Maine. While doing so, they made window inserts to be donated to Bread of Life Ministries, a homeless shelter in Augusta.

The project was made possible by Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry program, which aims to strengthen the capacity of parish communities to serve vulnerable people of all faiths, including the establishment of the weatherization programs. St. Michael Parish in Augusta received a grant from the program to assist with weatherization projects on homes and other buildings in Augusta.

“I was delighted to see so many community partners come together on this project,” said Michael Smith, the manager of Catholic Charities Maine’s Parish Social Ministry program. “It is wonderful to see our faith in action, especially to help form our younger generation at Saint Joseph’s College. I hope this service project will deepen their faith and inspire them to continue living out their baptismal call to love the Lord through our neighbor.”

Last year, Catholic Charities Maine served more than 48,000 people in Maine through over 20 programs. For more information about the Parish Social Ministry program, contact Michael Smith at msmith@ccmaine.org. If you would like to make a difference in a family or young person’s life by donating to Bread of Life Ministries, visit www.mainebreadoflife.org/support-bolm/donate.

Source: Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland