Family Harbor House Happenings – November 2025

Open House
Please join us on Saturday, November 15, from noon to 3pm! This is your opportunity to visit Family Harbor House and see how wonderfully the space has evolved. You’ll be able to tour the site, and meet the Board and our new director, David Beseda. You’ll see the renovations done by Whitecap Builders, which donated its labor, design, and project management. There will be refreshments to enjoy as well.

Family Harbor House is in the lower level of the United Methodist Church at 23 Mill Lane in Belfast. There is a parking lot at the lower level, near the entrance to Family Harbor House, as well as parking at the church entrance. When you arrive, it will be during the last hour of the church’s Christmas Fair. Please go downstairs to Family Harbor House.

New Director
We are so pleased to announce that we have hired a part-time director for Family Harbor House–David Beseda. David comes to us as a social worker with an extensive and varied background. He was a founding Executive Director for Community Housing of Maine, a Board member of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, and served as a guardian ad litem, among many other endeavors that qualify him for this new position. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of New England. David jumped into helping at Family Harbor House immediately, showing up to join the painting crew multiple times. We are so fortunate to have David joining our team!

Volunteer Appreciation
So many people are helping as we create and build this program. We want to continue to express our gratitude along the way! We had a terrific painting team who took on the major job of painting all the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, and hallways. Then more hard-working volunteers showed up to wash windows, window sills, and baseboards. They also cleaned those bathrooms–smiling and chatting the whole time. And furniture has been coming in steadily now. The rooms are starting to fill up. The Board feels so fortunate for all this volunteer support. It seems we just have to ask for help, and it’s there.

Family Harbor House Team
Midcoast Maine Homeless Coalition

A Whitecap Builders carpenter and a plumber prepare to re-build a bathroom and add a shower. (8/14/25)

Outside of the church is a playground area that hasn’t been in use for a while. Board member Joe Calista tackled what was then a hayfield, and he got it into very good shape for kids and families to enjoy. He also had a nearby shed cleaned out for Family Harbor House staff to use as needed.

Many of you have expressed interest in volunteer opportunities. The UU Church now has volunteer coordinators, and they are starting to put together our first team to work at Family Harbor House. We are hoping that other churches will follow suit and establish other volunteer teams. More information on these opportunities will follow.

Thank you again for your interest and support!

• Family Harbor House Team 

             Midcoast Maine Homeless Coalition