The Rev. Bryan Breault,  the Minister of the State Street Church, in His Church Office Several Years Ago..

The State Street Winter Shelter is Held at 159 State Street, Portland, a/k/a the Historic State Street Church – UCC, Built in 1851.

You are invited to attend an Open House at 159 State Street, Portland from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.on Sunday, October 19, 2025.  The Open House will be held at the State Street Church-UCC and the invitation was issued by the West End Neighborhood Association late last month, one of the non-profit organizations  supporting this Shelter.

The Open House will give you an opportunity to see this overflow facility if you have not seen it previously.  It’s also a chance for potential volunteers to see this Shelter in the event that opporunity is of interest to members of the public.  An overflow group is housed at the State Street Winter Family Shelter that runs from Monday, November 17th through April 30th.

Rev. Bryan Breault, of State Street Church-UCC told this blogger recently that the church can accommodate up to four different families for a total of 20 people.  He said that the success of the facility is due to  a coalition of voluteers that are derived from fifteen different faith communities in the area. That includes members of the Episcopal, Unitarian and Jewish faiths; the latter from South Portland.  The  State Street Winter Shelter has over 250 active volunteers.

Each family has a bedroom, along with a new bathroom and laundry facilities.  There is a large playroom for children of the families staying there.  On Septeber 23, Governor Mills announced that the application for $49,000. of the Shelter at 159 State Street had been approved.  These funds go to pay for a small staff said Rev. Breault late last month..

The press release from Governor Mills late last month annnounced $2.3 mllion in grants to support winter warming centers across Maine.  The MaineHousing funding will finance 12 locations opening a total of 338 overnight beds in Penobscot, Hancock, Kennebec, Cumberland, Aroostook Androscoggin and York counties.  In Cumberland County, the City of Portland received $400,000. How and where to spend those funds is under current consideration by the city of Portland.  This became necessary because in the spring Rev. Norman Allen of First Parish Church – Portland, announced that it did not have the necessary space, including bathrooms, to continue to serve as a warming center – a warming center that sometimes exceeded 100 people in one night.Tedford Housing in Brunswick received $255,500 to fund 35 beds up there.

“State can house up to 20 people for the winter for very little in cost.  We keep our costs down,”  said Rev. Breault. ‘We are very grateful for all those who volunteer here.  We couldn’t do it by ourselves.”