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Upcoming Events

Penobscot Bay Singers Concert to Benefit Family Harbor House
      Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 7pm
      Location: Belfast United Methodist Church, 23 Mill Lane, Belfast
     
     The Penobscot Bay Singers will provide a benefit concert as part of a fundraising effort for Family Harbor House, which will be under the auspices of the Midcoast Maine Homeless Coalition. Admission for this benefit concert is a suggested donation of $25 per person. 50% of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Family Harbor House.
      Penobscot Bay Singers are proud to support this initiative between Belfast United Methodist Church (BUMC) and Midcoast Maine Homeless Coalition. The collaboration is a coordinated effort to establish Family Harbor House, which will provide transitional housing at BUMC for families who do not have stable housing. MMHC will help the families find more stable housing while they are staying at Family Harbor House, as they continue to deal with homeless issues.
      The concert selections reflect the themes of “Moon, Light and Love.” The opening number will be a Kirby Shaw arrangement of the timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein classic tune: “It’s a Grand Night for Singing.” This arrangement is set in a samba style which gives it pep and drive. Selections that focus on the “Moon” theme are the Harold Arlen “It’s Only a Paper Moon” and a Stephen Zegree arrangement of “How High the Moon.” We find “Light” in the Duke Ellington classic tune “I’m Beginning to See the Light” and a Broadway arrangement of “Light” written by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt. The theme of “Love” is present in many of the pop tunes of the evening, including the classic Beatles’ hit “All You Need is Love” and the Beach Boys’ familiar tune “God Only Knows.”

      For more info: Penobscot Bay Singers on facebook

The Why Behind the Events

Homelessness is not just a national problem. It is a real problem here in MidCoast Maine. Homelessness affects all of us, directly or indirectly. In Maine, homelessness affects families, with almost half of homeless households having at least one child.

The shortage of affordable housing here in the MidCoast has squeezed out many families who now experience homelessness. They are our friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers. Their children attend our schools.

Many families and youth double up with family or friends, couch surf, stay in motels not set up for families, or settle for substandard lodgings, often without utilities. Although domestic violence shelters serve some in need, there is currently no family or youth shelter in Waldo County.

In 2024, the state Homeless Response Services Hub (Region 3: Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc Counties, plus Bath and Brunswick) identified 113 MidCoast families with children staying in motels or shelters, in addition to 60 unaccompanied, unhoused youth.

In 2024, as of September, Belfast General Assistance had provided housing assistance to 219 people, which included 42 men, 114 women, and 63 children.

These statistics do not include families and youth who have not applied for assistance or have not been able to find housing or shelter. They remain uncounted.