Norway Savings Contributes $25,000 to Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston

LEWISTON—Through nutrition services, job and life coaching, medical care, and warm welcomes, the Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston has offered support to tens of thousands of people in need since its inception over 30 years ago. Driven by benevolence, the center has provided hope, empowerment, and a better life to visitors in the process.

“In a single day, hundreds of people receive a free meal, hundreds of families gain access to groceries, unhoused individuals are provided with coats and gloves, and a whole group of others are helped as they apply for jobs,” said Dan Walsh, President and CEO of Norway Savings Bank. “Their impact is overwhelming.”

Trinity Jubilee Center is focused on addressing the unmet needs of underserved people in a variety of ways in the Lewiston/Auburn area. A soup kitchen, food pantry, day shelter, resource center, refugee integration program, and other services are open to anyone in need to help stabilize and improve their lives.

The inspiring mission of the center has drawn support from individuals, businesses, and organizations across Maine and beyond, including Norway Savings Bank, which recently delivered a $25,000 check to the center as part of a multi-year commitment to build a spacious new facility right down the street from their current location.

“It’s not just food, it’s food today, and helping people feed themselves tomorrow. We are so grateful to Norway Savings Bank and all of our donors for making this possible and for believing in our mission, our community, and our neighbors,” said Erin Reed, Executive Director of Trinity Jubilee Center. “The support helps people through the toughest times of their lives.”

The need is large, but the space is limited in the center’s current location in the basement of the Trinity Episcopal Church on Spruce Street. The center is raising money for the new center in downtown Lewiston as part of a capital campaign entitled “Hope Starts Here,” a campaign in which NSB is proud to be a contributor.

“The new facility will enable the center to more efficiently serve people and will even contain showers, laundry facilities, private meeting spaces, and other services to continue offering the compassion and caring that they’re known for in a modern building,” said Walsh. “When you hear the staff talk about how much more efficiently they will be able to help and how many additional people they will be able to assist, it really speaks to the importance of the campaign.”

“The new center will offer a 1,200 square-foot day shelter, twice the size of our current shelter, a fully-equipped doctor’s office, a health access center, a client services office, a larger kitchen, and an indoor food distribution area,” said Reed. “It will be a new home that is actually designed for service. Contributions from Norway Savings and other institutional donors are quite literally strengthening the fabric of our community.”

The campaign has raised $4 million towards its goal of $4.9 million, including $2 million in federal funding that underscores the viability and critical need for the project.

“We’re dedicated to helping people survive difficult situations and build strong futures. Having a facility that will enable us to do that in an even better way is an exciting prospect for our staff and volunteers,” said Chris Abbruzzese, the chair of the center’s Board of Directors. “We’re so thankful for local businesses and organizations who are moved to help. Their kindness brings smiles and relief to people in need and truly makes a difference that will be felt for generations to come.”  

To contribute to the center’s campaign for a new and improved facility, please visit www.trinityjubileecenter.org/hope. To learn about the many additional ways in which you can help the center, visit www.trinityjubileecenter.org/contribute.