St. Francis, St. Joseph centers come under Catholic Charities umbrella.
AUBURN — Bishop Joseph J. Gerry, OSB, Bishop of Portland, plans to visit Catholic Charities Maine’s St. Francis House, 24 Dunn St., at 4 p.m. and St. Joseph Child Development Center, 270 Minot Ave., at 6 p.m. Monday, March 31, to offer his blessing on the facilities.
Invited guests at St. Joseph include the St. Joseph Advisory Board, parochial school principals, local clergy, Auburn’s mayor and city council. Invited guests at St. Francis include St. Francis Advisory Committee, United Way, local clergy and the Office of Substance Abuse.
St. Francis House recently relocated to the former St. Louis Church Rectory. The facility was renovated in collaboration with the Maine State Housing Authority and Maine Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services.
St. Francis House is a residential program that includes an extended shelter and a halfway house serving chemically dependent adult men.
“I would like to thank the Auburn Catholic Community for giving us the opportunity to bring new life into this great building. The St. Francis House has a long-standing relationship in this community, and we are very excited about finding a building, which allows us to expand our services. We hope to serve our clients in this wonderful facility for many years to come,” said Janine Champagne, assistant program director.
The house provides a comfortable setting for those needing safe housing and support while making the adjustment in the early stages of recovery. Each program has the capacity for 16 residents. Gary Chandler, program director, said, “We will be able to serve more clients in the newly renovated facility. With the increased space we will be able to host conferences and local community events.”
St. Joseph Child Development Center, formerly known as St. Joseph Child Care Center, became an affiliate of Catholic Charities Maine in October 2002. The center was owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph since it was founded in 1949. The transfer to Catholic Charities Maine allows it to keep its Catholic identity and the continuance of child care in the greater Lewiston/Auburn community.
The center consists of three classrooms and serves 105 children ages 3 to 5 in full-time and part-time classes. Enrollment is non-denominational.
Michelle Meservier, center program director, said, “We at St. Joseph Child Development Center are pleased to be part of the Catholic Charities family. The change in ownership has been positive in many ways. St. Joseph’s has been able to continue providing high quality child care while maintaining our philosophy of respect for the uniqueness and dignity of each person.”
Catholic Charities Maine operates and administers more than 40 programs, projects and services in more than 20 locations throughout Maine, annually serving more than 20,000 low-income children, individuals and families in need.
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