The United Community Living Center (UCLC) will open a Community Center that will double as a daytime warming and cooling center. Without there is no safe, indoor daytime space for the unhoused community. Our center will operate 7 days a week/365 days a year. The Community Center will give guests opportunities to:
• Prepare light meals and snacks; • Shower;
• Receive mail; • Securely store their belongings;
• Access computers, printers and assistance;
Community Health Workers, (CHWs) will provide a high touch model of care to assist people with moving their lives forward in ways that they choose. “A community health worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who lives in or is trusted by the community. A CHW connects people to health and social services by breaking down barriers related to the social determinants of health”
Center guests will be encouraged, but not required to participate in the CHW program to help them with:
• Navigating complicated health and social service systems.
• Connecting individuals with needed services and help them learn to use these
services successfully and independently.
• Assisting with and supporting goals related to education and employment.
• Coordinating medical and community care for people with multiple conditions.
• Assisting in obtaining health insurance, medications, transportation services and
nutritious foods.
• Helping complete applications and reviews for:
o Social Security/Social Security Disability (SSI/SSDI),
o Mainecare,
o Transportation programs,
o SNAP Benefits,
o Marketplace insurance programs,
o Prescription assistance programs,
UCLC will refer to and partner with local health professionals to provide care and services. More than 15 medical and behavioral health professionals are eager to be involved to bring healthcare to the unhoused. Over time, guests may transition to established medical clinics. Services that guests may choose to access will include:
• foot care, • wound care, • health screenings,
• referral to treatment and specialty services,
• Medication assisted treatment (MAT) for substance use disorders (SUD),
• Harm reduction and/or recovery services,
Over time we plan to expand services and programing based on community and guest needs.
VISION
To be a helping hand, providing support and safety to individuals experiencing housing insecurity, and instilling hope for the future.
In order to move this project forward we will be seeking business and community support. We will engage with other social and health organizations to identify and support the needs of the Augusta area homeless. We will be holding focus groups and listening sessions to help us better understand these needs and to tailor our services to meet these needs whenever possible.
We will also be seeking funding to support this worthwhile effort. Fundraising and grants will be utilized for this project. Donations can be sent to our PO Box 2331, Augusta, ME
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