PORTLAND — Youth and Family Outreach is embarking on a bold new vision to meet the needs of the children and families in Greater Portland, by doubling capacity, increasing accessibility to early care and education and building 60 units of affordable housing to address current needs. To move forward, and due to its current condition, we must say goodbye to our current beloved home Preble Chapel, located at 331 Cumberland Av. We invite you to join us on a walk through history at Preble Chapel to say goodbye.
Join us at Youth and Family Outreach for a tour of Preble Chapel and a vision for the future. Tours will be offered every half hour between 10 a.m. and noon, each tour lasting approximately 20-30 minutes. The tour is being offered as part of a state and national festival known as Jane’s Walk.
On Saturday, May 3 communities around Maine will hold free, volunteer-led walking conversations emphasizing the power of individuals to influence the places they live and the participatory planning approaches that have helped people connect, support each other, and improve a sense of shared identity. Nearly 50 walks are planned in 27 cities and towns across the state, from Wells to Van Buren.
“Jane’s Walk is a wonderful way for everyday Mainers to celebrate the importance of place and place-keeping in their communities,” said Tara Kelly, executive director of Maine Preservation. Jane’s Walk is inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs, who spent her life (1916-2006) using grassroots advocacy to highlight neighborhoods in both the United States and Canada emphasizing the power of individuals to influence the places they live.
Please join us Saturday May 3 at Youth and Family Outreach located at 331 Cumberland Ave. between 10 a.m and 12 p.m.
Youth and Family Outreach has a rich, unwavering history of meeting the needs of Portland’s children and families. Since its origins in 1844 as a community outreach mission of the Portland Ministries at Large, the agency has focused its efforts on serving the community with compassion. Starting in 1849 with the establishment of Maine’s first adult education school, to the Pride Training School for intellectually disabled children, to a credit union for the local poor, to the Beacon Teen Center for homeless youth, the agency has risen to meet critical community needs of the time.
This next iteration began out of the need to increase the number of children and families served in the early care and education program, established in 1986. In 2018, the neighboring property, Maria’s Restaurant, was posted for sale. As the only possibility for expansion, the Board of Trustees explored the possibility of purchasing the property to expand programming. Through an in depth community assessment, it was collectively agreed to seize this opportunity to also address the growing need for affordable housing in downtown Portland. While considerable efforts were made to reutilize the current chapel, the requirements needed to create sustainably safe conditions for the children were prohibitive and the building became infeasible to the project. With renewed partnerships and approval from the City of Portland, YFO board and staff have embarked on this bold journey.
Join us to hear our story: the history and the legacy of Youth and Family Outreach, and our plans to build a brighter future in Bayside.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CKZoWdEkN/
Website: https://www.yfoutreachme.org/
