Steady. Strong. Here.

This week’s blizzard is a reminder that Maine winters are formidable and move on a timetable all their own. It has been long, snowy, and bitterly cold — the kind of winter that sparks stories about “the good old days” and resilience in the face of snowbanks and frozen driveways.

But for one local family, this winter was not nostalgic. It was dangerous.

In the coldest stretch of January and February, a social worker from a local school reached out to MYC after learning that a family was living without heat — and without running water. Pipes had frozen. The furnace had failed. Temperatures dropped into single digits. Yet their teenage son continued showing up to high school each day, determined not to let the cold derail his future.

Through the Merrymeeting Support Collaborative for Youth Experiencing Homelessness, our Youth Housing Outreach specialist, Jena, stepped in immediately. She made call after call, coordinated emergency assistance, and activated MYC’s network of friends and donors. Because of that persistence — and because of this community’s generosity — the furnace was repaired and heat was restored. Dad sent us the following message:

“Truly can’t thank you enough for helping make this happen — better than expected… we’ve battled the furnace since 2018 trying to keep it going. Now it’s brand new and we have heat for the first time after 23 days. [My son and I] are feeling blessed that we got it fixed now. Thanks to everyone who helped. It’s a perfect set up.”

After weeks of navigating every possible resource, Jena shared:

“Furnace is in, house is warm, and they have some DoorDash Community Credits to get something yummy for dinner. They are so grateful. Additionally, we have developed a strong working partnership with the Town of Richmond after advocating on behalf of this young person and his family.”

What could have spiraled into displacement became stability. What could have been isolation became partnership. What could have been crisis became prevention. This is what steady support looks like.

When the next call comes — and it will — we need to be ready.

You can help ensure MYC remains Steady. Strong. Here. Because of You.

• Make a one-time gift to respond immediately when a family faces crisis.
• Become a monthly Youth Champion and create the steady foundation that allows us to act quickly and prevent emergencies from escalating.
• Step forward as a corporate sponsor and invest in the long-term stability of young people across our region.

Winter may be formidable. But so is this community.