New Beginnings, Inc

Each year New Beginnings provides 700 children, teens, and adults with opportunities for the SAFETY, CONNECTION, and GROWTH that all people need to thrive.

New Beginnings has served runaway and homeless youth and Maine families in crisis since 1980. Our complete continuum of services provides an essential “safety net” for young people in Maine who don’t have stable family support and are at risk of homelessness.

Whether a young person is facing a night on the streets for the very first time or has been surviving on their own for years, New Beginnings can help. Each youth brings his or her own story, and we believe every young person in Maine deserves respect and the opportunity to grow up into a healthy future.

SAFETY: New Beginnings’ emergency services are available to youth from throughout the state of Maine 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – but we do so much more than shelter a youth in a crisis. In Androscoggin, Kennebec, and Franklin counties, New Beginnings staff reach out to youth on the streets, in the woods, and at libraries, corner stores, or parks to give them emergency supplies, a listening ear, and information about how to get food and shelter. Children as young as age 12 up to age 19 can find crisis counseling and a safe place to stay in a family-like environment at our 24-hour Emergency Shelter–the ONLY youth shelter licensed for 24-hour care for teens in Maine.

CONNECTION: New Beginnings’ family mediation services help many youth return home or reunify with relatives. When that is not possible, we offer Transitional Living apartments where older youth can stay and learn the independent living skills they need to succeed as adults. Youth and young adults up to age 21 can come to the Outreach Drop-In Center in Lewiston when they need help finding housing, emergency food, and hygiene supplies, or simply a safe, warm place to rest during the day and eat a much-needed meal. New Beginnings is also the fiscal sponsor of Outright Lewiston-Auburn which connects and supports youth who are LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning their sexuality or gender identity).

GROWTH: New Beginnings utilizes a low-barrier, youth-centered approach and model of care, welcoming everyone that walks through the doors as a whole person, with both strengths and challenges. Our approach is based on the knowledge that when teens feel safe from abuse and harassment and can trust a caring adult in their lives, they feel empowered to create a better future for themselves. Staff work closely with youth in all of our programs to achieve their goals, improve their physical and mental health, learn risk-reduction skills, acquire or maintain housing, and support their future employment and education.