Tedford Housing recently received $60,500 in grants, with funding earmarked for everything from keeping aging shelters in shape to all-important case management services.
The Moser Family Foundation awarded $8,000 to Tedford for capital improvements to its emergency adult shelter in Brunswick.
Jennifer Iacovelli, director of development at Tedford Housing, said the Moser Family Foundation isn’t a foundation easily searched for online.
“The Moser family is more like local people who just support Tedford on a regular basis, which is really great — they really help us a lot,” Iacovelli said.
Iacovelli said the Moser foundation has provided for Tedford Housing numerous times in the past regarding various needs.
Iacovelli said with older buildings on Federal and Cumberland streets, there is always something in need of repair, replacement or updating — even if it’s just keeping up with fire codes.
“It’s really awesome that we can have that kind of relationship,” Iacovelli said of the Moser Family Foundation.
The largest single grant in this round came from the Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation in the amount of $37,500. That was followed by the John T. Gorman Foundation award of $15,000. Both awards go toward the heart of what Tedford does — case management.
The John T. Gorman Foundation grant is geared toward case management of homeless families and youth, while the Doree Taylor grant is more general.
Iacovelli said the grants help a lot with funding gaps created when those they serve are not covered by MaineCare, who funds case management for their recipients.
In all, Tedford Housing staffs six case managers for homeless prevention, the adult shelter, the family shelter, two for supportive housing, and one working with the Merrymeeting Project addressing homeless teens.
Iacovelli said Tedford Executive Director Craig Philips likes to say, “we’re basically a resource center — we just happen to have some beds for people too.”
“There’s so many other issues that come with homelessness and without that, they’re just going to come back to us,” Iacovelli said of their clients who depend on case management for a variety of needs to break the cycle of homelessness.
Iacovelli said their case managers know services and resources inside and out, whether it’s assistance with job training, getting housing vouchers or even covering a security deposit or obtaining some fuel oil.
The latest round of grants is part of an ongoing effort for the nonprofit Tedford Housing to meet the needs of the growing homeless population in the Midcoast. The “Big Check” collection hanging in Iacovelli’s office shows just some of the local support they receive.
Tedford team
• TEDFORD HOUSING staffs six case managers for homeless prevention, the adult shelter, the family shelter, two for supportive housing, and one working with the Merrymeeting Project addressing homeless teens.
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