AUGUSTA – Bread of Life Ministries, which offers the only homeless shelter in Augusta, is closer to its goal of raising $571,000 for a shelter expansion thanks in large part to a $25,000 grant from the Avangrid Foundation, in partnership with Central Maine Power.

Bread of Life is a longtime partner program of United Way of Kennebec Valley, with community funds directed to the shelter and soup kitchen annually. Despite strong community support, the 26-bed shelter turns away about 60 to 100 families a year due to space constraints. The organization’s capital campaign, “Never Say No Again,” will add 14 beds to the family facility and three bedrooms to the veterans’ shelter. The family shelter renovation will also add additional bathrooms, laundry rooms and needed office space.

“This expansion is critical in our continued mission to serve the most vulnerable in our community, and the Avangrid Foundation has partnered with us in our effort to ‘Never Say No Again,’” said John Richardson, executive director of Bread of Life Ministries. “That means never having to say no again to a homeless single mom or veteran who is in need of homeless services and shelter. Avangrid and CMP have brought us that much closer to ensuring every person in our community who finds themselves homeless and in need of services can get those services.”

“The partnership with United Way of Kennebec Valley is a long and deep one,” said Nicole Licata Grant, Avangrid Foundation Director. “And through them, we can touch partners like Bread of Life, who are taking on issues that impact our community deeply, like breaking the cycle of homelessness.”

Doug Herling, president and CEO of CMP, said the company “has worked to support solutions to local community challenges for more than 100 years. We are pleased to be part of Bread of Life’s growing response to homelessness as part of the United Way of Kennebec Valley and through the Avangrid Foundation.”

Thanks to the support of many individuals, businesses and foundations like Avangrid, Bread of Life now has about $98,000 more to raise to reach its goal. Construction on the project is underway, with the renovated space set to open in the spring.

The Avangrid Foundation is an independent organization that funds philanthropic investments primarily in areas where AVANGRID and its subsidiaries operate. To learn more about the Foundation, visit avangrid.com. For more information about Bread of Life or to donate to the capital campaign, contact 626-3434 or go to mainebreadoflife.org.

Pictured: Groundbreaking at Bread of Life Shelter