Maine Needs started as an idea. An idea that the power of social media could be used to get people’s basic material needs met.
This idea didn’t work because of the person who had the idea, it worked because so many other people also wanted to know how to help their neighbor. It worked because people don’t want the things they donate to be priced out of reach for the people who need them most.
Since the Facebook group was started back in January of 2019, the response has always been an eagerness and curiosity to understand where to donate, what is actually needed and what isn’t. Caseworkers, teachers and street outreach teams played a crucial role in informing all of us and that is what shaped our focus. We didn’t become a tax deductible non profit until late October of 2020, that didn’t stop anyone from buying what was needed. It didn’t slow the number of volunteers and it didn’t prevent us from fundraising for our own donation center. Why? Because people are burnt out from the injustices they see, feel and experience in the world and they want to know how to help. They aren’t doing it for credit or a tax deduction or even a thank you. They are doing it because it matters to them. That is the driving force behind Maine Needs. These people, these businesses have mostly gone unrecognized but we want you to meet our community.
Over the next few weeks, we will be adding our community to this page, so you can see that all hands on deck is truly what is needed to look out for families and individuals all over Maine. So we can remind ourselves to support the businesses that share these values.
BUSINESSES
CLEANING
Oakhill Dry Cleaning in Scarborough picks up, washes and delivers all of our dry cleaning needs of Winter coats and comforters for free!!
Go Go Refill in South Portland, has created many eco friendly cleaning & Toiletry kits for us! They have all kinds of solutions for taking better care of our environment.
Earth Breeze donates thousands of laundry detergent strips for our cleaning kits.
Tru Earth has also donated laundry strips for our cleaning kits!
Good Wipes has donated over 5000 large body wipes for people living outside during hot Summer months.
Grove Collective has donated wonderful cleaning kits with non toxic name brand products that families are so excited to receive!
DELIVERY
Sven Delivers has been delivering storage pieces, big blue bags, pots, pans, flatware, pillows, cooking utensils weekly to us since we started.
Preventative care
Coastal Wellness Pharmacy donates unexpired products to us that they aren’t in need of. They also offered us wholesale pricing on $5000 worth of vitamins for high risk families before there was access to a Covid vaccine.
Flick the Tick donated 500 bottles of tick spray for families and individuals.
Lyme TV donated 500 bottles of OFF for people sleeping outside this Summer to protect them from ticks.
Reverb has donated THOUSANDS of brand new Nalgene bottles for kids in school needing a bottle to fill up water and individuals that are unhoused needing to stay hydrated. All thanks to their generosity and several cancelled concerts!
BArs & restaUrants
Barreled Souls in Saco just raised $19,400 raffling off a barrel of beer for $20 a ticket. Ingenious and so generous!
South Portland House of Pizza servers pooled their tips and raised over $1000 to buy Winter gear and toys just before the holidays.
Allagash Brewing has given $5000 to us two years in a row and many employees have volunteered with us!
Cellar Door Winery gave us a $1 per bottle of wine for months!
Locally Sauced has fundraised for us multiple times and collected what was needed at their Falmouth location.
Flatbread Company has raised money for us and brought our volunteers pizza several times!
Luke’s Lobster has hosted dine and donate dinners in honor of Maine Needs.
Below are all the Instagram handles of bars, breweries, trucks and shops that fundraised for us last Halloween! Follow them!
@portfiber @risingtidebeer @austinstreetbrewery, @threeofstrongspirits, @rootwildkombucha, @eighteentwentywines, @belleflowerbeer, @fermentorytastingroom, @lonepinebrewing, @apresdrinks, @anoche.portland, @goodfirebrewing, @izakayaminato, @onggiferments, @hardshoredistilling, @risingtidebeer, @taprootmag, @bluelobsterwines, @honeymakermead, @pedego, @theportlandzoo, @radiciportland, @greatwavesushi, @thepinkwaffleme, @portlandtwist, @bigbadfoodtruck, @onaroll_foodtruck, @rebel_cheesesteaks, @indigoartsalliance, @quanto_basta_maine, @curbsidequeens @ironcladeats
Coffee shops/ Bakeries
Rwanda Bean Coffee has supported us and helped us before we even had a location to drop off at.
Zu Bakery has purchased countless items we have needed and contributed financially to support us.
Kelsey Morgan has baked $2100 worth of gorgeous gift worthy cookies to raise money for Maine Needs.
GROCERY
Portland Food Co Op fundraised for us for an entire month and raised $4,101.33!
Good Tern Co Op in Rockland has fundraised for us and accepted kits!
Hair stylists
During the first Summer of Covid, shortly after not being allowed to work for months, 19 stylists raised $11,396 with a full weeks worth of tips. These are those stylists Instagram handle. Follow them and go get your hair done by someone who supports their community during a covid affected financial hardship of their own.
@_thatjennagirl_@mwrhair @lamonhair @catherinepelosi_home @sally_heartandmane @pageboystudio @hairby_kaitlynmarie @hairika_st.pihair @_glo_co @willowabbey @haircolorbykari @nickycouch_ @krissy_heartandmane @jill.lopez @hairstylistris @jemappellejessica @clairecuts @tasha.does.hair
Fitness
Hustle & Flow was one of the first local businesses to fundraise for us, by hosting a wildly successful yard sale in the midst of a pandemic.
Portland Gear Hub has donated adult backpacks, new swimwear etc and they build bikes for people with no other form of transportation. They are awesome!
Starting Line has raised funds for us, purchased much needed items, assembled kits and donated to our auction.
Reve Cycling
The Portland Yoga Project
KIDS
Lots For Tots is a wonderful partner of ours, helping us to buy snow pants and underwear at wholesale prices and setting up a Maine Needs fund at both locations for people to sell toys and clothes that we don’t accept.
Island Treasure Toys created 400 discounted Summer Fun Kits for people to buy.
Love Lab Studio has created several art kits for kids.
Children’s Museum & Theatre has been collecting art kits and basic essentials like pajamas, underwear, socks and diapers!
SHOES
Lamey Wellehan Shoes has donated hundreds of Winter boots to us!
HOME
Anne Riggs Design has made so many thoughtful things for us to give to mothers and families.
Pretty Flours has hand painted fabric to be used to make make up bags for women.
Modern Chandler Candle created hundred of wonderful soy candles for a fundraiser.
Sea Mills Naturals
Artists
Hannah Hermes created an incredible icon graphic poster that we turned into a tote bag to fundraise.
Hardware & Car dealerships
Home Depot South Portland has made cleaning kits for us and donated $5000.
Patriot Subaru raised $1525 for Maine Needs.
AUCTION Contributors
Hundreds of local businesses and individuals have given of their skills and time to help us fundraise for a community donation center and keep it running. Please take a look and support them year round.
Auction Year One (fundraise for a space)
Auction Year Two (fundraise to keep it going)
PROVIDERS
The providers we work with are caseworkers, nurses, teachers, social workers, street outreach teams and community focused nonprofits throughout all 16 Counties in Maine. They do so much more than anyone could imagine to look after our community, person by person, family by family. They make specific requests with us, pick up and deliver. This only works because they care deeply about getting people what they need. We will boldface a few organizations that are particularly scrappy and underfunded.
Preble Street
Preble Street Outreach
Florence House
Logan House
Preble Street Teen Shelter
The Opportunity Alliance
PATH
Maine Families
Homeless Youth Services
Children’s Behavioral Health Home
Maine Homeless Veteran Authority
Through these Doors
Safe Voices
Milestones Recovery
Maine Access Immigrant Network
Catholic Charities of Maine
WIC
Headstart
Community Concepts
AWS Maine
Maine Medical Center
WaldoCAP
KVCAP (Kennebec County)
Penquis (Bangor)
ACAP (Aroostook)
City of Portland, Oxford Street Family Shelter
Tedford Housing (Brunswick)
Trinity Jubilee Center (Lewiston)
The Store Next Door (Lewiston)
Waldoboro Free Clothing Closet
Americorps TREE (Trauma Responsive, Equitable Education) Washington County
Crisis and Counseling (Skowhegan)
Pir2Peer Recovery Center (Millinocket)
Mexico Maine Free Store
Lewiston Schools
Sanford Schools
Westbrook Schools
South Portland Schools
Skowhegan Schools
Dexter Schools
Washington County Schools
Somerset County Schools
The Landing Place (Rockport)
Piece of My Heart
Cumberland County Correctional Facility
South Portland Police Department
Sanctuary at Maple Hill Farms
LINC Augusta Homeless Services
Lend a Hand
Spurwink
Church of Safe Injection
Amistad
Sweetser
CarePartners
Fedcap Inc.
Alternative Wellness Services
Greater Portland Family Promise
Gateway Community Services
Promise Early Education Center (Lewiston)
Hope Acts
Hand of Mercy
GoodWill NE
KidsPeace
Western Maine Behavioral Health
Port City Mutual Aid
Home Health Care
Woodford Services
Easter Seals
The Out Foundation
Pine Tree Society
Northern Light
Connections for Kids
Portland Housing Authority
Maine Locker Project
Sequel youth services
Crisis and Counseling
Peabody Center
Maine Access Points
Morrison Center
Care and Comfort
Avesta Housing
Rumford Group Homes
Book fairy Pantry Project
People's Housing Coalition
Maine Recovery
Mano Maine
Kids Peace
The Root Cellar
Day One
Youth Without Barriers
ENSO Recovery
Reading Refuges
Schools from York to Kennebec
SAFE SPACE
Tri-County Mental Health Services