Crossing the street to help those who are homeless
It’s becoming a familiar sight on the streets of Lewiston. Five days a week, around 11 a.m., the Prince of Peace Parish food truck rolls out of the parking lot of Holy Family Church and heads to nearby Kennedy Park. Behind the wheel and trailing behind in other vehicles are volunteers who serve in the parish’s Cross The Street Ministry.
“Our mission is to serve the most vulnerable and to engage with the homeless. Our name reflects our call to follow the example of Christ. What do most people do when they see the poor? They cross to the other side of the street to get away from them. We’re doing exactly the opposite. We cross the street to meet them,” says Denise Begin, one of the organizers.
Once parked alongside Kennedy Park, a spot where many community members who are experiencing homelessness can be found, the volunteers serve sandwiches, snack packs, and coffee, and they hand out water bottles, which Poland Spring donates. In the winter months, the group also gives out cold weather essentials such as Mylar blankets, hand warmers, hats, and gloves. It’s a service that dozens of people have come to anticipate and appreciate.
“We’re probably meeting about 60 people per day now, 50 to 60. It is a large group. They’re coming to know us, and so, they expect us now,” says Denise.
“The ministry here, they are so nice, and without the socks, and the gloves, and the hats, we would be cold. They’re all so nice and helpful, and they just want you to know that God is there and to show you that,” says Sofia, who says she has been homeless since November.
“They have coffee, for one. That’s very helpful. They have food you can take and eat later. That’s very helpful,” says Chase. “They’re very great people.”
The parish first began talking about starting the ministry in August 2023. Father Daniel Greenleaf, pastor of Prince of Peace Parish, says the idea grew out of a recognition of the challenges facing downtown Lewiston and out of a desire to play a role in addressing some of them.
“Lewiston downtown is facing a lot of problems, many different problems, and we figured that since the Basilica [of Ss. Peter & Paul] is right in the center, the whole parish is right in the center of it all, that we should be part of some solution, addressing the issues. So that’s when we started the discussion of, well, what can we do? How do we live our faith in Christ here in the midst of this community that has these problems? How can we be like Christ? And what does the Gospel tell us to do? And that’s when we began saying, ‘Well, maybe we could just walk around and give out food.’ And that’s how it all began,” says Father Greenleaf.
The ministry got rolling in December 2023 with a handful of people handing out items once a week.
“It was just a couple of items for them to snack on later on and then anything else we had,” says Denise.
But with the passing weeks, the ministry drew in more and more parishioners and more and more donations. There are now approximately 80 volunteers, including those who make sandwiches, those who put together snack packs and other items, and those who deliver them.
“We have a street crew. We have a packing crew. We have a sandwich-making crew that also makes coffee. I’m part of the Saturday street crew, but we go out on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays as well,” says Rit Leslie of Lewiston, one of the organizers.
“It’s just been such a blessing because, like Rit said, there are so many people working behind the scenes. We have people in the parish praying. We have people donating, and we have all the people who are hands-on behind the scenes. We’re the front-facing volunteers when we go out and interact with people, but without all the support, we couldn’t do what we do,” says Paul Gastonguay of Lewiston, another of the organizers.
Those who participate in the ministry say they see it as a way to give back to the community and to show gratitude for the blessings they have received in their lives.
“I’ve been very blessed with a wonderful family. I know there are a lot of folks suffering on the street who don’t necessarily have those blessings, and I wanted to be able to show the love of Christ to the folks who are out there and try to give them just a little bit of hope in their tough days,” says Rit.
“When Father announced that he wanted to do this, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to give back,” says Michelle Doyon of Sabattus, a member of the packing crew. “It’s hard when you see people out there that are so unfortunate that they’re in the position that they’re in. And a lot of people just don’t care. They just drive by. How can you not care? This is what God has told us to do: to love one another, to give of ourselves like He loves us.”
“I truly believe in helping people who are struggling, and feeding them is a good way to reach them,” says Doris Daigle of Lewiston, a sandwich maker. “Christ gave us a choice: a choice to feed the hungry. What better way to show Christ to others?”
“I felt bad for the homeless out there because there are a lot of them. And when I heard that the parish was going to be putting together this group, I decided I would join and help in the effort,” says Denise Bolger of Lewiston, who is on the packing crew.
The volunteers say the Cross The Street Ministry has been an eye-opening experience for them.
“Initially, we didn’t know what to expect. Was it going to be dangerous? We held a safety meeting. But when you get out there, it’s not what we thought at all. It’s sad, and it can be hard to see, but when you engage with these folks and ask them their names, maybe it’s the first time they’ve had anybody call them by their name in weeks, and you see their eyes light up. I’m getting a little choked up, but to me, the most powerful thing is just to have conversations with these folks and give them a hot cup of coffee on a two-degree day,” says Rit. “We pulled up the other Saturday, and there was a woman whom we see quite regularly, and she was jumping up and down. She was just so excited to see us. That was just an amazing experience.”
“Yes, we do give out things, but our main goal is to interact with people. Talking with them, we’re getting to know them. They know us. We hear their stories, and we’re able to identify with them,” says Denise Begin. “We have had it where people have said, ‘You know, you’re the first person I was able to talk to today,’ and that was at maybe one o’clock.”
The volunteers say while they believe they are providing a valuable service, they, too, are benefiting from the ministry.
“It started out that I wanted to do something with the parish, but it ended up doing more for me because I see that what I’m doing is helping people who are really in need,” says Joann Cote of Auburn, who makes sandwiches.
“We’re serving people, but we’re blessed because of, number one, the interactions that we have. We see Christ in these people, and that is very humbling,” says Paul.
“They’re doing good, and it’s in their faith. I think that makes all the difference in the world for them because they sort of feel like, ‘I hear the Gospel, and we’re doing it,’” says Father Greenleaf. “It just feels like the right thing.”
With the ministry continuing to expand, the parish decided to invest in a used food truck, which allows them to share more items — for instance, hot coffee in the winter. Father Greenleaf says they had already been talking about getting a van when he read that Bishop James Ruggieri, who had just been named the 13th bishop of Portland, drove a food truck as a priest in Providence, Rhode Island.
“I was, like, our bishop does what we wanted to do. A lot of people think we did it because he did it, but he actually became the inspiration to move us to that step because we were trying to figure out how to do it,” says Father Greenleaf.
The food truck has an image of St. John Paul II on one side and St. Teresa of Calcutta on the other, with sayings from each of them. “Remember that you are never alone. Christ is with you every day of your life,” reads the one from St. John Paul II.
“The people downtown call us the ‘popemobile,’ which is kind of a neat little nickname,” says Denise Begin. “They see that van, and they love the sayings on the van and the pictures.”
Father Greenleaf says he advocated for the images of St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. John Paul II because of the influences they had on his own life.
“Those were the two giants in my faith back in the late 80s and 90s, as I was discerning and then going through my early priesthood,” says Father Greenleaf. “I wouldn’t be the priest I am without those two. There is no question that John Paul II inspired me in a way I had never experienced. And then Mother Teresa has always been the inspiration of one who can live the Gospel humbly, as I try to do.”
Looking to expand their work further, the parish applied for a Catholic Charities Maine Parish Social Ministry (PSM) Matthew 25 Award. The awards are intended to help parishes meet the needs of their communities. Prince of Peace received the top award, which included a $6,000 grant and a beautiful stained-glass plaque that Bishop Ruggieri presented to Denise Begin and the other volunteers during a Mass at the basilica on February 23.
“We, the Church, serve the poor because we first recognize God’s love for us through Christ. Christ served us first by dying and rising for us. Christ was not seeking to make political change, nor was He an ideologue parroting back some pagan Roman self-centered platform. He was, and is, the Incarnate Word, God in the flesh, love divine in our midst. His charitable work of salvation was done purely out of love. We matter. We matter to the Father because of who we are, created in His image and likeness. Salvation is not part of some social platform. The work of salvation is the work of love, divine love,” the bishop said.
“It’s an exceptional ministry. It’s only been going for a short time, but it’s really taken off,” says Deacon Frank Daggett, director of PSM. “They are showing the love of God to the people who are out on the street. That is a work of evangelization. It’s a work of showing that we spread our love to those who may not be aware of the love that God has for them.”
The parish plans to use the money to buy a heating unit for the truck so hot items can be stored. This will allow them to offer small, hot meals prepared in the church kitchen in addition to sandwiches. The parish also wants to add a mini refrigerator so they can keep water cold or maybe even hand out ice cream in the summer.
“We are so excited about this grant because now we can expand even more,” says Denise Begin.
Father Greenleaf says he has seen a change in his parishioners as a result of the Cross The Street Ministry.
“I don’t think the big thing is that people are getting a bologna sandwich. It’s the parishioners who are being changed. I just watch them and their excitement of doing God’s work,” he says. “Doing something good brings happiness.”
“It gives us a chance to grow together in Christ. When I walk in and grab some stuff, and there is a packing crew there, they’re smiling and talking, and they’re just so happy to be working together. It’s really cool to see that happen,” says Rit. “When you do that, God is amongst us, and He’s drawing us together. It’s really great.”
