PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Aroostook County Action Program hosted a visit from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins on Monday, Oct. 3, to show her their plans for the new Hope and Prosperity Resource Center at 1 Edgemont Drive, including a tour of their building and programs.
Collins met with ACAP staff members to present a certificate of authenticity and a U.S. flag to recognize ACAP’s 50th anniversary in-person.
Sen. Collins was later given a tour, where she met staff members like community educators Caragan Haney and Chastity Holland.
“This has been a challenging problem because communities don’t have the resources and they see this enormous growth in the number of people experiencing homelessness,” Collins said. “I think one of the best things we could do would be to expand mental health services and substance abuse programs, which we did recently as part of the Safer Communities Act that was passed earlier this year.”
As the tour moved to the basement, ACAP’s program coordinator Theresa Dow-O’Leary took over to show Collins the renovation floor plan for the Hope and Prosperity Resource Center that will build 13 transitional housing rental units.
“It was a great opportunity for [Collins] to meet our staff, learn what it is that each of them do in the building and an opportunity to meet a couple of our clients that seek resources from the Hope and Prosperity Center daily,” ACAP’s COO Jamie Chandler said.
Chandler said Collins learned a little more about ACAP’s administrative offices and some of the programs offered at the Hope & Prosperity Center.
“The homeless problem — not only in Aroostook — but also throughout the state is becoming more and more challenging. There’s a shortage of affordable housing, we’re in the midst of an opioid epidemic, and we’re finding that there’s a lot of disruption in people’s lives,” Collins said after the tour ended.
ACAP executive director and CEO Jason Parent said Collins believes this is a critical time for affordable housing in Maine. The Hope & Prosperity Center will carve out a unique niche for supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness to transition into affordable housing.
Collins also met with the staff and board members at Big Rock and toured Caribou Police station Tuesday — both are slated to receive $2.5 million federal grants this year — to speak to them about how they plan on using the federal grant.
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — October 3, 2022 — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine speaking to ACAP staff and members with a US flag and certificate of authenticity in recognition for ACAP’s 50th anniversary. (Paul Bagnall | The Star-Herald)
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — October 3, 2022 — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine meets with ACAP staff members in front of the Hope and Prosperity Resource Center before going on a tour of the building. (Paul Bagnall | The Star-Herald)
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — October 3, 2022 — ACAP program coordinator Theresa Dow-O’Leary (left), along with the executive director and CEO Jason Parent (middle), showing the floor plan for the Hope and Prosperity Resource Center to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. (Paul Bagnall | The Star-Herald)
