My name is Charlene Matts and I am a volunteer supervisor at The Gathering Place in Brunswick. My responsibility as supervisor is to keep us on track with our mission statement: “To provide a safe, welcoming and comfortable space for people to gather in downtown Brunswick where we offer our guests respect, encouragement, companionship and hope.”

We show our hospitality by keeping our space neat and organized, the coffee pots full and snacks attractively displayed. We greet each guest as they arrive to show our respect. By keeping a peaceful atmosphere and being available to listen, we show we are there to support others on their journey in what can be a difficult world!

It is important to provide a safe environment to rest in, work together, to help each other, yet knowing we can’t fix each other. We encourage people to tell their stories, to change what they are able to and to provide an alternative to being isolated.

A little over seven years ago, my family was homeless. Altogether my husband, our two sons and I have been homeless five times. We have stayed in campgrounds, cars, shelters and laundromats. While we were staying at the Tedford shelter, we heard about The Gathering Place where we could go while the shelter was not open. I can remember the first week going there; I was cold, hungry, worried and very stressed! I didn’t know what to do next, so we went in their door and were greeted with a warm, sincere welcome. I remember sitting there just quietly taking everything in. I found myself continuing to go there. I had no other place to be and I felt welcome and safe. Over time, I began to meet other guests and volunteers and each time I became a little more at ease and I began to develop relationships with others.

Had I found a home? No, but what I found was a place for me to be when there was no other place to go. I thank God for this place! We have a place to live now, the four of us, and life is more stable. Eventually, I became a volunteer to try and give back a little of what was given to me and to try to make a difference to at least one person. I try to support people who, even though their journey may be different, we have a common bond with me, in being or having been homeless.

Homelessness is a way of life for many. Some of us will continue the fight and find stable housing, which everyone needs for success, but some will lose. People need to be aware that most anyone can become homeless. Illness, loss of a job, or injury can cause a person, or a whole family, to lose everything. Most people who experience homelessness are not mentally ill or addicted; we are equal to anyone else with similar worries about our families. At The Gathering Place everyone is treated with respect and acceptance, regardless of where we are on our journey.