Maine Needs
Mission
Maine Needs strives to help individuals and families in Maine meet their basic, material needs by providing donated clothing, hygiene products, household items, and other necessities. We focus our work on those starting life over from scratch: domestic abuse survivors, asylum seekers and those facing financial hardships. We partner with schools, caseworkers, nurses, and nonprofits to provide these material resources.
Geographical Reach
The entire state of Maine
Theory of Change
Maine Needs was started to create a bridge between those donating things regularly with those who were working with caseworkers, teachers, nurses, and street outreach teams and knew what specific, basic items were needed. Maine Needs asks the community for material and financial donations, which are then picked up and distributed by professional care providers (caseworkers, nurses, teachers, social workers, street outreach teams and community focused nonprofits). Items donated include clothing, hygiene products, household items, and other necessities. Financial contributions help to buy essential resources like new underwear, tents & sleeping bags, diapers, and cleaning & hygiene supplies.
People Served
Maine Needs supports thousands of individuals across Maine. In 2022, 9,372 requests were made by providers and needs filled included 10,147 children’s books (with support from the Book Fairy Pantry Project), toys for the holidays, art kits, minute for mom kits, 2,224 tents and sleeping bags, 4,695 cleaning kits, 22,878 pairs of socks, 14,938 pairs of new underwear, and 29,788 shirts.
