Jody and Cherie Mackin arrived at the Mansion Church in Bangor on Monday night as the temperature plummeted into the single digits.
But the couple weren’t seeking shelter, they were there to work.
Inside the church, the pair quickly settled into their weekly routine volunteering at the warming center. Cherie Mackin sat in a chair to watch over the roughly two dozen people resting in the church while her husband, Jody Mackin, scurried into the kitchen to clean up from that evening’s dinner.
The couple started helping at the warming center every Monday after moving into an apartment on Ohio Street roughly two months ago, ending three years of homelessness.
“It has been a long few years, but we’re hoping we can set an example for somebody,” Cherie Mackin said. “Even though you feel so hopeless, don’t give up. But, you have to make changes in order for things to change.”
Their journey is one example of what families face when attempting to climb out of homelessness. It also comes at a time when the city is preparing to close the sprawling encampment behind the Hope House Health and Living Center at the end of February after moving the dozens of people there into some kind of housing or shelter.
The Mackins spent eight months living behind the Hope House before traveling to Millinocket to care for Cherie Mackin’s sick mother. Later they returned to the encampment, often called “Camp Hope” or “Tent City,” but decided not to stay because they didn’t like how the community had broken down.
The Mackins then set up a campsite near the Bangor Dog Park and lived there for three months until their hidden spot was betrayed by a dog that got loose.
While they said they were disappointed to lose their campsite, it was a blessing in disguise because they entered the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter on Main Street where they reconnected with their former caseworker.
The family stayed in the shelter for nearly two weeks before they received a Shelter Plus Care housing voucher, a federally funded program that provides rental subsidies and supportive services to homeless individuals with disabilities, which they used to rent the two-bedroom apartment where they now live.
After securing permanent housing, Cherie Mackin said the family is focused on giving back to the places that kept them fed, clothed and out of the cold, such as the Mansion Church. They also hope to work at the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, but have to wait until the spring to apply, as they can’t ask to work there until six months after they lived there as guests.
Terry Dinkins, pastor of the Mansion Church, welcomed the Mackins back with open arms, but seeing former warming center guests return to help in some way is nothing new. At least a dozen people who volunteer at the church once stayed there as guests, Dinkins said.
“It’s rewarding and good for us as a church family to see that,” Dinkins said. “I think it encourages others who might want to volunteer when they’re able to.”
The Mansion Church on the corner of Center and Cumberland streets is one of three winter warming centers in Bangor, according to Dinkins. The church usually hosts 20 to 25 people each night from Nov. 1 to March 31.
While Jody Mackin said he misses living in the Maine woods, his favorite part about being housed is having a place to host their grandchildren.
“We wouldn’t have our granddaughters coming over for dinner tonight if we were still homeless,” he said.
Cherie Mackin said her daughter had two children in the years the couple was living outside, meaning they’ve been absent for their entire lives.
“When you’re outside, you have this feeling of disappointing your kids and grandkids,” Cherie Mackin said. “You don’t see it that way when you’re mixed up in it, but when you take a step back and reflect, you realize you’ve missed a lot.”
Though the family didn’t want to live in Tent City, they have differing opinions on the city’s work to close the encampment. Cherie Mackin said it could be a good option if city officials manage to house everyone living there.
Jody Mackin, on the other hand, said he’s entirely against closing the encampment because he believes it will only push people to another location where they might not be safe or have a community nearby for support.
“Where are they supposed to go?” Jody Mackin, whom other Tent City residents referred to as the encampment’s mayor, said. “At least they’re in a place where they don’t have to pick up and move every few days. You can’t keep doing that to people.”
To anyone who’s homeless now, the Mackins urge them to not give up on themselves and take advantage of the resources available to them. This is especially important if something like an untreated mental health disorder or drug use is standing in the way of achieving housing.
“You have to realize that nobody is going to do everything for you,” Cherie Mackin said. “You have to step up and make the positive changes yourself to see positive things happen.”
To those who have never experienced homelessness, the Mackins said not everyone who’s unhoused has a mental health disorder or uses drugs.
“I’ve been clean from drugs for 11 years and I’m proud of every minute,” Jody Mackin said. “Every person who’s homeless has a unique story of why they are where they are. It’s not ever cut and dry.”
