BIDDEFORD — On Friday, which was a comfortable summer day, a number of people were at the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center on South Street. People were eating, talking and taking advantage of the free assistance offered at the center. There were also several volunteers who were helping out.

Since it’s summer, attendance was lighter than average, said the center’s executive director, Rev. Shirley Bowen. In cooler weather, 60 or more people seek shelter and companionship at Seeds of Hope each day.

There are a mix of people who frequent the neighborhood shelter, she said, from senior citizens, to those with disabilities, to young adults ”“ some with children ”“ and even people with part-time jobs.

A number of those who use the services at Seeds of Hope are homeless, said Bowen, and even those who are not live in marginal circumstances. In some parts of the country, the economy may be improving, said Bowen, but she hasn’t seen that happen locally.

“We’re registering new people all the time,” she said.

Despite that, “there are still lots and lots of people who don’t know how bad the circumstances are in Biddeford and southern Maine,” said Bowen.

To bring more awareness to this issue, Seeds of Hope is displaying a statue that was created to bring attention to homelessness and to those who need assistance.

“Whatsoeveryoudo”¦” was created by sculptor Timothy Schmalz. The statue is on loan until Friday to Seeds of Hope from the Christ Episcopal Church in East Norwalk, Connecticut.

The name of the sculpture is based on a passage from the Bible that reminds people that whatever they do to the least fortunate of people, they are doing for Jesus.

“It reminds us that there aren’t different classes of people,” said Bowen. “If you only help the people you like, you aren’t living your faith in a Christian way.

“Jesus lived with the poor,” she said, and those were the people he helped.

“It’s a very powerful statue” and very realistic, said volunteer Sheila Jezard. “When I came in this morning, I wasn’t looking closely, and I said, ”˜Don’t tell me someone is sitting there.’”

Jezard agreed with Bowen that there is “great need” in Biddeford.

“We don’t realize the extent,” she said.

When speaking about the statue last week, Bowen shared facts and figures regarding poverty and homelessness in Biddeford and York County. According to Bowen, most homeless people don’t fit the stereotypes. Those affected by homelessness can be those with disabilities, victims of abuse, single mothers and their children, families, unemployed people, those not earning a livable wage, those who don’t receive enough through federal and state assistance programs, and others.

In January, 151 homeless people were surveyed in York County, and 47 of them live in Biddeford, according to Linda Waters, the community development coordinator in Biddeford. Countywide, 29 people lived outdoors or in campsites, and 14 of those lived in Biddeford. The remaining 122 had unstable housing conditions and didn’t have their own permanent home, but stayed with friends or others. Thirty-three of those people lived in Biddeford.

According to the York County Shelter Programs’ website, in 2013, the shelter programs served 560 homeless people; 60 percent were male, while 40 percent were female, and 20 percent of the total were children.

Of those using the shelter, 43 percent had a high school diploma or equivalency, 26 percent had a mental health diagnosis, 49 percent had a chronic substance abuse problem and 56 percent were unemployed when admitted. No one said they actively sought to be homeless.

Surpassing the number of homeless people are those who live below the poverty line. In Biddeford, more than 50 percent of school children participate in the free or reduced school lunch program. To participate in the free lunch program, families can earn no more than the federal poverty rate, which is $23,850 per year for a family of four. For reduced lunch, a family of four can earn up to $44,123.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].