Until you’ve walked a mile
in some else‘s shoes…
About Us
The Emmaus Homeless Shelter is part of H.O.M.E. Inc. and is a 25 bed facility which can accommodate four families, six single women, and five single men, ages 18 and up. The Emmaus Shelter opened its doors to its first guests on February 25, 1992. The Shelter operates (24) twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year.
Our History and Founders
The Beginning…
Acting on a proposal by Sister Barbara Hance, the Federal Building on the corner of Main and Water Street was leased to Emmaus (uh-may’-us) by the Housing and Urban Development Corp. under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. The Emmaus Center opened its doors to its first residents on February 25, 1992. The building was built in 1935 and is in need of on-going repairs and upgrades. The Emmaus Homeless Shelter works constantly to keep the building up to code.
Founders
Sister Barbara Hance and Sister Lucille MacDonald
Services
Provided To Our Guests:
- Assistance with obtaining Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, State I.D.’s and Driver Licenses
- Budgeting
- Daily Living Skills
- Rent Smart Course (Practical Education for Today’s Renters)
- Referrals to Case Managers, and Counselors
- Help in obtaining Food Stamps, Maine Care, and WIC Services
- Connecting Veterans to Local Service Groups
- Assistance with applications for Subsidized Housing and Voucher programs
- Connecting Guests with Landlords for perspective housing opportunities
- Supplying Guests with furniture, household goods and linens upon receiving a rental unit
- Following Guests for one year after moving into a rental unit to ensure stability
Community Services:
- Food Pantry and
- Produce
- Free Clothing
- Household Goods
- Salvation Army
- Vouchers
- Financial Aid if available
Contact Us
We are hear for you
Please feel free to e-mail us with your questions and comments.
Stacey Herrick, Director
director@emmausshelter.org
Lisa Reynolds, Assistant Director
assistantdirector@emmausshelter.org
Olivia Brown, Housing Navigator
navigator1@emmausshelter.org
Melanie Johnson, Housing Navigator
navigator2@emmausshelter.org
Email Address
director@emmausshelter.org
Phone: 207-667-3962
Fax 207-667-1086
Office hours – 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM. The shelter is open (24) twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
Mailing Address
PO Box 811, Ellsworth, ME 04605
Physical Address
51 Main Street, Ellsworth, Maine
Special Programs…
Food Pantry
Hours…
Our Food Pantry is accessible five (5) days per week:
Monday – Friday 10:00 to 2:00 PM
Please call the Shelter the day before to sign up at 667-3962
We also provide an array of food items from Hannaford and Shaw’s, two (2) days per week:
Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 – 10 AM
No appointment necessary! Don’t forget your bags!!
Free Clothing Room
Hours…
Open three (3) days per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:00AM to 2:00PM
Featuring Gently Used and New Clothing for Men, Women, and Children.
No appointment is necessary!
Holiday Food Baskets
Thanksgiving & Christmas
Food Baskets consist of: turkey, stuffing, gravy, canned vegetables, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pie.
Thanksgiving: Sign up time will be announced in October 2026
Christmas: Sign up time will be announced in October 2026
Christmas Adopt-A-Child
Christmas Outreach
The Christmas Adopt-A-Child Program provides gifts for low income parents to present to their children at Christmas time. This program helps bring smiles to many children’s faces who otherwise would have nothing under the tree Christmas morning.
The process is as follows:
Parents who are in need of help with gifts simply go to our Facebook page and look at the Wish List, choose three gifts per child and call the shelter. All of our staff are able to help sign up your children up for the program and we will do our best to fulfill the request.
We try to match a family with participants in the Adopt-A-Child Program or fill requests with gifts that are donated by individuals, churches, schools, and businesses. We call the families when their requests have been filled.
On the flip side:
Participants that want to adopt a child, choose the size of family/number of children they would like to adopt and purchase three gifts per child. All unwrapped gifts should be delivered to the shelter. The purchase of wrapping paper and tape are appreciated but not mandatory. Monetary donations are also accepted and volunteers will purchase gifts requested that are not filled by an adopter. To participate all you do is send a email to director@emmausshelter.org with your specifics.
We greatly appreciate all participants of the program, whether it’s volunteering, purchasing gifts, adopting a family or a monetary donation. We average helping 375 children a year.
