HARPSWELL — A local massage therapist has raised more than $1,400 in two months to fight teen homelessness.

Liz Stamey offers massage therapy sessions a few times a week as a side business from her job as a registered nurse in Portland. Stamey opened her practice in October 2018 in an office building on Park Row in Brunswick, within walking distance of the Town Mall.

Liz Stamey, RN and LMT, donated the net proceeds from her massage therapy business to Housing Resources for Youth for the months of May and June. Contributed

“I read an article in The Forecaster,” Stamey said. “It talked about a homeless teen and I thought that there must be something that I can do to help. The money is being donated to Housing Resources for Youth. They’re going to find host homes for some high school students in this region that are homeless, which is just stunning to me. I really just don’t have words to describe how it makes me feel.”

Housing Resources for Youth is organized with the help of several local organizations, including Tedford Housing, the Merrymeeting Project, Brunswick and Topsham Housing Authorities and People Plus. For the months of May and June, Stamey donated the net proceeds from her massage therapy business to the youth organization, with a total of more than $1,400 raised.

Stomey has found massage therapy useful in her personal life and chose to pursue it to help others.

“I had gotten massage therapy for myself,” Stamey said. “I like doing this here because it’s different from what I do at my other job at the hospital. Here, I get one person at a time, and the whole time I get to give them my entire attention.”

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Once her clients learned about Stamey’s mission, many chose to donate more. Stamey even saw support from friends across the country.

“I sent my clients an email to tell them what I was doing,” Stamey said. “I did have a few new clients come in during these last few months and they were all excited and happy that I was doing this. A few clients were extremely generous with their tip when they heard where the money was going. I even had a friend reach out to me from Seattle asking for help finding an organization to support in her area, so I helped her find a local resource to help.”

Moving forward, Stamey hopes to continue donating on a bimonthly basis and change the recipient of the proceeds each time. While she is unsure of what her next fundraiser will be, she has her sights set on a specific community of people. For more information on how to book an appointment, visit https://www.lizstameymassage.com.

“I don’t know where I will be donating next, but I do know that it will be centered around children,” Stamey said. “And I’m going to continue donating. I started this because I enjoy helping people feel better, whatever their need for that is.”


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