Imagine you are homeless and staying with friends. You work hard, save your money, and eventually find an apartment your budget can handle. Then you discover you can’t afford the security deposit.

Or perhaps you work at a low-paying job. Your car needs an expensive repair but you don’t have the money. Yet without it you can’t get to work. What would you do?

This is where the Greater Waterville Community Investors step in. Investors are residents in our community who want to help people become or remain financially stable, when an issue can be easily resolved through a one-time donation.

This initiative was created in 2015 through the Greater Waterville Poverty Action Coalition and is implemented by the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program with three other referring agencies: Waterville General Assistance, Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter, and Winslow Public Schools.

Using email, we put forth a request each week to help an individual or family with a basic need when no other resource is available. Examples include beds so people are not sleeping on the floor, security deposits to access safe housing, and car repairs so people can continue to get to and from work.

Investors can choose to contribute financially toward any request. All donations go directly to support the people in need and are not used for overhead costs. In 2019, 53 investors contributed over $22,000, helping 123 people improve their lives. Together we have seen firsthand how a small investment can have a lasting impact on our families and within the larger community.

We know that a community is only as strong as its most vulnerable neighbor. Do you want to help strengthen our community? Join our email list by calling Andrea Pasco at 859-1630 or send an email to andreap@kvcap.org.

Andrea Pasco
Greater Waterville Poverty Action Coalition