Genesis Fund End-of-Year Update |
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Amidst growing challenges, our borrowers and partners continue to go above & beyond in support of our communities. |
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Dear Friends and Partners,
As I write this, we are fast approaching the end of what has been, by any account, a challenging year for all of us – at home, at work, in our neighborhoods, and in the broader community. But even during these trying times, I am finding that in conversations with friends, family, and peers, there seems to be a common thread woven through all the worry and concern: a desire to somehow, and in some way, help.
It is this common thread – of hope, of kindness, of commitment to our neighbors, even as we experience our own personal challenges – that helps ground me, and the entire team at Genesis, as we dive into our work each day. We can help. And we invite you to join us.
With contributions from people like you, we have been able to deepen our support of many organizations providing housing and essential services to the most vulnerable among us during this critical time. I am pleased to be able to share a few of their stories with you below. These updates illustrate how these and other organizations continue to go above and beyond in support of their communities during this incredibly challenging time.
Like the organizations we serve, we remain committed to supporting our neighbors amidst great uncertainty. We couldn’t do it without our donors, investors, and friends, whose partnership is so essential as we strive to build healthier, more prosperous communities – for all.
Thank you, and be well,
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Liza Fleming-Ives
Executive Director
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A few short years ago, AIO was a small community service organization with big dreams. Assisting hundreds of Knox County households through its food pantry, weekend backpack meals program, and energy assistance program was becoming increasingly challenging to do effectively from their existing base of operations. They began to envision how much better they could serve their neighbors with a new, upgraded facility.
Says Jenkins, “For years, we said to ourselves, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to get a new building?’ But when the perfect property – literally next door – became available, we didn’t have funds or the organizational know-how to buy it and turn it into the new space we’d been dreaming about for so long.”
That’s when Genesis stepped in to help create a plan for the site’s acquisition and AIO’s eventual expansion – and then providing the financing to purchase the property. “If we hadn’t connected with Genesis when and how we did,” adds Jenkins, “we definitely wouldn’t be where we are right now.”
Fast-forward to this fall, when AIO officially opened its brand-new, state-of-the-art facility, providing a
safe, bright, welcoming space which enables the
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organization to help the community more broadly, effectively, and efficiently. And not a moment too soon: the many challenges of the past year have brought over 850 new individuals to their door, seeking food for their families, help keeping their homes warm, and sometimes simply just a kind ear.
The most important thing, notes Jenkins, is the message AIO’s new building sends to those who need it. “This safe community space we’ve created, it’s a commitment – we stand for you. We stand for your wellness, we stand for your family. We want you to be fed, we want you to be warm. You are part of this community that we are all invested in, together.”
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In March, when Coastal Kids was forced to close for three months during COVID-19, the potential effects on the school – and the families it serves – was daunting. Closure meant tuition income fell to zero, while basic operational expenses remained steady. Sustaining the organization while preparing the school for an eventual safe reopening – with no revenue – made for an uncertain path forward.
Fortunately, Genesis stepped in to help. “We received a call from Genesis to see check in and see how we were doing,” says Lisa Conway, Coastal Kids’ Executive Director. “When we shared the challenges we were facing, a plan for relief was quickly hammered out, allowing us to defer our loan payments during the entire period of closure. It couldn’t have come at a more critical moment.”
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As the events of recent months have shown, a school closure has significant impacts on its community. For families with young children, especially, school is a center of gravity – where vital social, emotional and educational frame-works help to foster healthy young minds and bodies. For families of children with special needs, school is even more essential, providing critical connections to therapists, aides, and specialized educators.
Coastal Kids is one such school – providing an inclusive early learning program for 100 students from 22 towns in the Midcoast, reserving 1/3 of its full-time slots for children with identified special needs. This essential community facility has a staff of 40, including teachers, admin-istrators, ed techs, 1:1 aides, and therapists.
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With the help of Genesis and other funders, Coastal Kids fully reopened in June, says Conway, and is thriving. “All classes are filled to capacity, robust new health and safety guidelines are in place, and children are happily learning and playing together again. What could have been an especially challenging time for us was made so much more manageable by Genesis. We are so grateful for our partnership!” |
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The Genesis Fund has a longstanding commitment to supporting the four Native American tribes in Maine – collectively known as the Wabanaki – to help address the housing and community development needs of their nearly 8,700 members.
The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians is one of these communities, and in spring of this year, its Housing Authority reached out to the Genesis Fund seeking technical assistance services. Several homes in the community had reached the end of their life expectancy, and so the Tribe was applying for competitive grant funding to help repair and replace vital housing infrastructure, including roofs, windows, siding, and mechanical systems.
The Housing Authority needed help putting together their application – but did not have the budget to cover professional services. Fortunately, thanks to the generous support of Genesis Fund donors, we were able to say “Yes” to this request and offer pro bono technical assistance to the Tribe.
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“We are so grateful for the support of the Genesis Fund as we work to preserve and improve the homes of these 23 families,” says Cathy St. John, Maliseet tribal member and Housing Director. “Without hesitation, Genesis provided the expertise we needed, regardless of our ability to pay.” We are proud to stand with the Wabanaki Tribes and other nonprofit organizations by offering low- or no-cost technical assistance services as they develop vital affordable housing and community facility projects. This support is made possible through the contributions of our many friends and partners! |
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Genesis Fund Impacts
In the last two quarters of our fiscal year, with the help of
friends and partners, Genesis Fund financing
and technical assistance has made all of this possible:
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68 NEW OR
PRESERVED HOMES
56 FOR RENTAL, 12 FOR HOMEOWNERS
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200 SLOTS OF TRANSITIONAL AND SUPPORTIVE RECOVERY HOUSING
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OVER 1,000 HOURS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES FOR PROJECTS TO BENEFIT NEARLY 2,000 MAINERS |
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Genesis Community Loan Fund - 22 Lincoln St. Brunswick, ME 04011
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The Genesis Fund is an equal opportunity organization.
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