Dear VOA Northern New England:

I was 26 years old before I discovered that America had homeless youth. I was a young Legal Aid lawyer when a colleague asked me to walk the streets of Minneapolis in 1993. Within three hours my friends had pointed out over 30 youth sleeping in outdoor areas or squatting on door stoops around our city. It was inconceivable to me that the wealthiest country in the world did not have enough resources to meet the shelter and housing needs of youth and young adults. It still troubles me when I continue to encounter youth experiencing homelessness in Bangor, Lewiston, and Portland in 2026. 

This month we are sharing some stories of hope, however. Through your efforts, VOA offers services to provide wrap around social supports and access to safe housing to youth experiencing homelessness, adults entrenched in long-term homelessness, and adults exiting jails and prisons. Your gifts enable us to do amazing work to build trusting relationships and offer evidence-informed practices that set people on a path toward stability.

This New Year, as we face shifting federal priorities and a traditionally snowy New England winter, I hope you will remain by our side. Your prayers, gifts, and voice to expand basic need services are a tremendous boost. VOA remains a safety net for over 100 persons experiencing homelessness because of you. Thank you and may you remain healthy and happy in 2026.

Peace,

Rich Hooks Wayman

CEO, VOA Northern New England

Uplifting Families Together (UFT) is a York County initiative strengthening families impacted by incarceration. Through parent skills training at the York County Jail, reentry planning, and wraparound family support, UFT works to improve outcomes for incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers. With the support of generous donors, the program will serve hundreds of parents over three years and provide child wellbeing and reentry supports to more than 160 families—helping families stay connected, stable, and resilient during and after incarceration.

Stigma is heavy for both incarcerated parents and their children. Public safety is improved when we offer wraparound support and connection to financial, employment, and housing supports for adults leaving jails. However, this project also recognizes the unique harm imposed on children when parents are displaced to jail. Through this work, UFT and VOANNE strive not only to break cycles of incarceration but also to build pathways toward stability, strong family connections, and thriving childhood development—reflecting a holistic approach to community wellbeing and justice-informed family support. 

Click here to read about three families helped by UFT.

VOA’s Young Adult Rapid Rehousing (YARR) program is Maine’s first statewide initiative dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness among young adults ages 18–24. YARR provides housing-focused supportive services that help eligible participants secure safe, affordable apartments with assistance from MaineHousing Housing Choice Vouchers and landlord partnerships. Each young adult enrolled works closely with a Housing Coordinator to create a customized plan that includes housing identification, move-in support, and long-term stability planning.

The YARR team embraces trauma-informed care and a housing-first approach, meeting young adults “where they are” with flexible virtual support available statewide. Each year, the program aims to assist about 25 young adults on their path to independence and housing stability.

Give now to ensure more young people have the stability and support they need to build independent, successful futures.

Services include comprehensive case management, housing navigation, care coordination, health promotion, peer support, and connections to community services—including help accessing MaineCare and other benefits.

Grounded in trauma-informed, housing-first principles, the HRT team helps participants not just find housing, but keep it by addressing the health and life challenges that can create barriers to stability. Their proactive outreach and 24/7 support aim to meet people where they are and walk with them toward lasting change.

If you believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home, consider supporting this vital work to help neighbors move from crisis to stability.

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