FARMINGTON — Mission at the Eastward (MATE) Housing Ministry, headquartered at the Fairbanks Union Church, brings volunteer mission teams from all over the northeast who come to western Maine to share their talents and caring with area homeowners, who without assistance with labor and/or materials, would be unable to make needed repairs and maintenance to their homes. Many of the volunteers take vacation time to be here.

Painting, roof repairs, porches, steps, ramps and simple interior and exterior repair are likely prospects for the teams. Wherever possible, we ask homeowners and families to participate in the work and its cost. At times the mission can help with materials through grants and donations.

Currently we are serving mostly Franklin County: Farmington area, Chesterville, Jay, N. Jay, Livermore Falls, Wilton, New Sharon, Temple, Strong, and New Vineyard. Somerset County: New Portland, Lexington, Highland Plantation & Embden. Volunteer work groups stay in North New Portland and Farmington, and we like to keep the work within 30 minutes of these towns. The Salem Economic Ministry, WMCA and RCAM in Leeds also have similar programs that cover the other towns not listed above.

Volunteer Mission teams arrive during the months of June, July and August. The date and time the team will be at your home will be coordinated with you if your application is accepted.

The MATE Housing Ministry was created to help people in need stay in their home by doing needed repairs they could not otherwise afford to do. The volunteer Mission teams seek to do Christian service. They are called out of their everyday lives to serve in our community. They come to work on housing and would be pleased to work along with you. Their experience is made better by the time you share with them.

If you own (or are buying) your home, all you have to do is to fill out an application and return it. Each application received will be considered, and you will be contacted for further information if necessary. We will call you to set up an assessment appointment, and we will notify you, whether or not we are able to do the work requested.

MATE-Housing Ministry determines what applications are accepted based on the skill levels of the volunteer teams and the extent and complexity of the work requested. We do our best to prioritize the requests as to those most in need of assistance. We cannot guarantee that we can do everything requested, and it must be kept in mind that the work will be done by volunteers with varying skill levels. Whatever we do is done with the safety of the volunteers as our highest priority, and in completing a job to our mutual [client & MHM] satisfaction.

You can find the application on our website – www.missionattheeastward.org, or by calling the office at (207)778-4705, and we will gladly send you an application. Most of the town offices in the areas we serve also have received applications, and you should be able to find one there.

Our aim is to keep our community resilient and healthy, help people stay safely and warm in their homes, and we would love to come out and help.

(Mortgages held by other than a financial institution: In cases where the mortgage is held by other than a financial institution, MATE-Housing Ministry will require them to also sign off on any repairs made.)