FARMINGTON — Western Maine Homeless Outreach received a $5,000 grant from Skowhegan Savings Bank on Monday, thanks to the efforts of students at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The money will help educate people living at the shelter at Living Waters Assembly of God Church, 547 Wilton Road in Farmington, on how to budget and use their money wisely, said Ronie Morales, a senior from Long Island, New York. The goal is to help them become stable and find more permanent housing, he said.

Through a resource management and grant-writing class last semester, six students in the Community Health Education Program researched the needs of the homeless shelter and worked with the local bank to secure funding for the shelter’s Rent Smart Program. The funds will allow day programming to continue through to April, shelter manager Tricia Plourde said.

Morales, along with seniors Melissa Sawyer Boulette of Arrowsic and Rhiannan Jackson of Saco, attended the presentation of the bank’s donation Monday.

They worked with students Zachary Bonnevie, Ryan Rice and Natasha DesRoche to research the shelter’s needs, said Kelly Bentley, UMF assistant professor in the Community Health Program, who teaches the class.

The students attended a Western Maine Homeless Outreach executive board meeting to find out what the needs are, Plourde said. They also took a shelter tour and asked questions.

The students met with bank officials to present two ideas: A request of $5,000 for the Rent Smart Program and $25,000 for a winter day program for the shelter, Morales said.

While the bank was concerned about the need for a winter day program, the request, made in October, was too late to institute this winter, Morales said.

Because of a lack of funding, the 16-bed shelter is closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. most of the year. Some funding allowed residents to remain at the shelter during the day through part of the winter or into February last year, Plourde said.

Community members and staff provided classes on visioning goals, preparing resumes and cover letters, budgeting, cooking low-cost meals and more, she said. 

The executive board would like to keep the shelter open throughout the year.

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