At Hope Squad Maine’s “Love and Gratitude Event”, over 100 attendees and eight community partners gathered to educate and honor the collective love and light poured out daily to serve our unhoused friends. It was truly inspiring to see such a strong community presence, with participants including Milestone Home Team, Grace Street Ministry, The Light Within, My Father’s Hands, Preble Street Outreach, Spurwink’s Living Room Crisis Center, the City of Portland’s Harm Reduction Team, and Milestone’s Detox Center.
The event was a chance not only to express deep gratitude for the support of so many but also to celebrate the shared compassion that sustains our mission. Founder Matt Brown delivered a powerful and heartfelt talk, highlighting our approach of meeting unhoused individuals where they are—with no expectations—by offering compassion and love. He spoke about the importance of establishing trust, ensuring that when someone is ready for change, we are there to help. Community members that attended left with a better sense of what is happening in the growing homeless population of Portland and learned about all the behind the scenes work that is being done to care for them.
Our volunteers provided a wonderful spread of food, reflecting the items we typically serve during outreach. Attendees also had the opportunity to write love notes to our unhoused friends, which will be included with the sandwiches we distribute during outreach.
The event was a beautiful moment of connection, bringing together community members, community partners and volunteers to reflect on the impact of our shared efforts. The turnout was a testament to the strength of this mission, and the event was made even more meaningful by the fact that it was organized entirely through the efforts of our amazing volunteers without incurring any costs to our organization.
This gathering reminded us all of the compassion and dedication that bring light into even the hardest moments, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to its success.