Giving Voice: Finding connection during a pandemic

|October 9, 2020|

By MARY CONNOLLY-

Imagine what it would be like not having the ability to speak to another person for long periods of time. Living alone, staring out the window wishing you felt safe and comfortable reentering a community living in a pandemic. Social distancing, quarantine and isolation all reduce the physical contact people have with others. Breaking barriers while wearing a mask, having a hard time recognizing those who six months ago were friendly neighbors and friends. Desperately looking for someone to talk to but not having family to call or having minutes on your phone can lead to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Social interactions and activities are vital to maintain mental health and an overall sense of well-being. We all have times in our lives when we feel lonely but now this loneliness is not a choice but a reality forced on us by the pandemic.

Immediate effects of social isolation have already been well documented. Suddenly there are many more stories of men and women who face great uncertainty, worry about rent, and whether there will be food that day. People are worried about losing their jobs, homes and connections. All of our guests understood those worries prior to COVID. According to the American Medical Association, there have been surges in mental health concerns, substance abuse, and domestic violence incidents. In addition, studies show an increase in troubling health behaviors, including substance use and more than two million Americans purchased guns during the month of March, according to federal data. This raises obvious concerns for increased risk of suicide, making opportunities for social connections even more critical.

Our guests are among the most vulnerable in our community and were unanchored without The Gathering Place. “I live alone and have no family, and usually don’t think about it,” says  a longtime TGP guest. “But, I feel lonely. I miss seeing my friends at the Gathering.”The Gathering Place is open Monday, Wednesday (soon), Thursday and each day we are lucky to see more and more familiar faces.”

“I miss my friends at The Gathering Place,” says a longtime volunteer. “I am returning as a volunteer because I need to be with people, talk to them, help them and give hugs, even if they are air hugs.”How do we help those in our community who are suffering this loss of companionship and connection? The answer is The Gathering Place. Being with trusted others means safety for so many of us and the first step is being a listening presence.”

Since opening in June I have found companionship and socialization to be the most important programs we offer. We talk through issues; learning from each other; being encouraged, corrected and motivated by those around us. All done while masked and social distanced. The joy that exudes from our outside coffee “pavilion” is contagious. I have spent wonderful hours learning about several of our guests. People are more willing to share and I am so grateful. Each morning we are greeted by a long-time guest who turns out is an expert on Maine history. He formerly worked at the Library of Congress and took his penchant for family history and great fun facts and shares so much with all who are lucky enough to join in the conversation.

For all the joy and laughter found at TGP, there is also grief. Sadly, The Gathering Place said goodbye to a longtime friend last Friday, Chris Brawn, a wonderful guest and volunteer of the Gathering Place. “Chris’s sudden passing was especially painful for us not just because we have no idea how or why he died but because he was young, vibrant, and full of love and caring,” said Phil Studwell. Because of COVID restrictions, the service was offered on Facebook live instead of at The Gathering Place which has been a long-standing tradition. Saying goodbye and sharing stories now has to be done via messaging but the compassion and heartfelt words shared by Phil Studwell, Chick Carroll and George Hardy made us all feel grateful that we are part of a community of people who really care for one another. Phil said in his eulogy, “Chris was an incredibly hard worker. He gave off the feeling like he was doing it for you as his gift. That’s who he was, he was sending you a message he cared about you and was thanking you for just being you. He’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it and anything else you needed.”

Being together at The Gathering Place lifts all of our spirits and brings out “the better angels of our nature.” As the weather gets colder and people are forced indoors and connected less, reach out to your neighbor and say hello. Write a note to someone you love and let them know you are thinking about them. Come to the Gathering Place and have a cup of coffee, and remember that we are better together. You will never know how much your kind words and caring will mean to somebody.

Mary Connolly is the executive director of The Gathering Place. Giving Voice is a weekly collaboration among four local non-profit service agencies to share information and stories about their work in the community. 

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Giving Voice: The Gathering Place closing, and re-opening, and …

|August 28, 2020|

By JUDY BAUMAN-

With heavy hearts The Gathering Place (TGP) temporarily closed on March 17, 2020 due to COVID-19, honoring local and state requests to help prevent the spread of the virus. Closing meant our 70 plus guests per day would not have a place to gather to access resource information, use computers, charge personal phones, use the TGP phone, or pickup their mail. Talking with friends, playing a game of cards, working on a jigsaw puzzle or word puzzle could no longer be an everyday occurrence with the closing of TGP, the day drop-in shelter in downtown Brunswick.

Often, the word shelter is associated with homelessness, but not all our guests who visit TGP are homeless. Many have housing but live alone and welcome the opportunity to socialize, enjoy a cup of coffee and become involved in an ongoing activity such as craft making or a monthly birthday celebration.

From the day of closure, TGP Staff kept in close contact with other Community Resources including the Tedford Shelter, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program and Oasis Free Clinics to see how our guests could continue to be assisted with the basic needs of shelter, food and medical care. By posting hours, pick-up at the door was arranged to obtain mail, sleeping bags and personal items.

Early in the closure, “The Team of 6” was formed, consisting of Staff and Board Members/Volunteers to develop a plan for re-opening on a date unknown. The Team first focused on how social distancing could be obtained and maintained. Diagrams were drawn to configure the 6-foot distancing of both indoor and outdoor space. Plans were made for obtaining Plexiglas, masks, and sanitizing supplies.

With TGP Board approval, our doors opened for Monday and Thursday mornings on June 18, with the wellbeing of our staff, volunteers and guests of the uppermost importance. Signage was posted indicating the ways of entering and exiting; correct social distancing was marked inside and outside, and masks and hand sanitizer was readily available at the entrance and throughout the building. By then Plexiglas was in place dividing computer space, chairs were properly distanced, bathroom faucets had been changed to touch-free operation and window fans were in place for adequate ventilation.

No matter the amount of time dedicated to reopening, the realization was that TGP would not look the same as before closing, and we would only be open for two mornings a week. However, our ongoing mission is to always to welcome our guests, which would not be changed by COVID. No doubt in the minds of staff and volunteers, there were smiles behind all the masks as guests thanked us for re-opening for them.Advertisement

Overall attendance remained low initially in comparison to our previous census, but as word traveled more guests began to arrive. Some asked if coffee might be made available. With further board approval, a plan was made to serve beverages. A designated outdoor area was mapped out allowing for seating and maintaining proper social distancing when masks were removed to enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of ice cold water.

It was noted that we weren’t seeing some of our usual guests. Would it be helpful to remain open into the afternoon, making it more advantageous for those needing transportation or traveling from a distance to have more time at TGP? Our volunteers readily agreed to help with the extended open hours, and our doors are now open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays. Our daily census increased, especially during mid-day.

We have been fortunate to have had good weather during our reopening, and our guests have spent more time outdoors than indoors, but what happens when seasonal changes occur? More guests will seek the comfort of daytime shelter, and the indoor square footage with proper COVID guidelines will not accommodate everyone. We will not have enough available space for mask removal to sip coffee.

The challenges of challenging times! Our Team of 6 will be going back to the drawing board to see how we can continue to provide a safe, welcoming and comfortable space in downtown Brunswick for our guests, while being mindful of the guidelines brought about by COVID-19.

Judy Bauman is The Gathering Place’s board president and volunteer. Giving Voice is a weekly collaboration among four local non-profit service agencies to share information and stories about their work in the community. 

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The Gathering Place Celebrates Selection as a Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Program Beneficiary

The Gathering Place has been selected as a beneficiary of the Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Program for the month of October. The Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Program, which launched in April 2019, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work. The Gathering Place was selected as the October beneficiary of the program by store leadership at the Shaw’s located at 147 Bath Road, Brunswick, ME. The Gathering Place will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Bag is purchased at this location during October, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag.

For more information on the Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Program, visit https://shaws.bags4mycause.com/

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Today’s Challenges Force Reflection on Years of Change at The Gathering Place

Written By Judy Gray | Volunteer and Board Member

The Gathering Place had its beginnings in 2010 when an informal group of idealistic realists, concerned about increasing homelessness in the Brunswick area, began discussing what they might do to alleviate the problem.  Clearly the biggest need was for affordable housing, but feeling that this was well beyond their limited means, they gradually began to focus on the dream of developing a day shelter where “welcome is our mission” might become a reality.

On February 7, 2011, the dream did become reality as The Gathering Place opened at 84B Union Street in a building owned by the Seventh Day Adventists and generously shared with TGP. In those early days, there was no paid staff, and volunteers often recruited guests to help resolve computer problems or unlock a recalcitrant lock.  

TGP grew by leaps and bounds, from 6 guests the first day in 2011, to 20, 30, 60, 70, 80 and more. Eventually, by 2015 the focus began to coalesce around leasing land from SDA adjacent to the location TGP was sharing with SDA. In September 2016, the “new” TGP opened with suitable ceremony. Guests and volunteers made the transition with varying degrees of enthusiasm and nostalgia for the “old place”. 

Life went on. Until late winter of 2020 and the coronavirus.  

Suddenly the situation was dire, and on March 17 The Gathering Place closed, not to re-open for three months.  But a stalwart group of staff and volunteers began almost immediately to think about how TGP could re-open.  It would mean a more dramatic change.

On June 18, 2020,  TGP re-opened.  It was a drastically revised TGP with abbreviated hours, required masking, social distancing,  plexiglass screening, and an emphasis on accessibility to information, bathroom, use of computers, telephone, access to mail.  Meeting individually either in person or via ZOOM or telephone could be arranged.  No coffee.  No refreshments.  

In the month since then outdoor seating has been added, the smoking area is again available, and an awning has been ordered.  Hours have been extended:  Monday morning 8:30-11:30, Thursday all day 8:30-3:00.  Starting Thursday the 23rd coffee, sugar and creamer will be available under careful, safety-conscious conditions.  Volunteers, seasoned veterans, bold old-timers, fresh newer volunteers, even a newbie or two – someone will be there to show you that despite all that has changed, welcome is still TGP’s message.  Hugs are gone.  Love remains.

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