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The Trinity Jubilee Center is expanding. The nonprofit has served people in need since 1991 and says more space will allow it to help more people.

LEWISTON, Maine — The Trinity Jubilee Center has supported people in need for more than 30 years, but now it has outgrown its small basement space at Trinity Church in Lewiston.

In December, with help from donations and a federal grant, the nonprofit will move into a new 10,000-square-foot building.

On a recent chilly morning, people started lining up early for food, medical and employment help, and other services at the Trinity Jubilee Center.

The nonprofit, based in the basement of Trinity Episcopal Church, serves about 1,000 clients each week. Space is always in high demand.

Erin Reed is the executive director of Trinity Jubilee Center.

“Right now, we have pallets of food in the shelter, so we have to decide: Do we use this square footage to shelter people or to feed people?” Reed explained. 

In December staff and volunteers will leave the crowded space that has helped people for 34 years and move into a 10,000-square-foot building. The new two-story building on Bates Street is still under construction but will include a soup kitchen and a food pantry with more than twice the space as before.

“In the past year, we served 39,000 meals, and now we will have two walk-ins, three ovens, and do a lot more food,” Reed said. 

The new building will include a larger day-shelter area, a kitchenette, and laundry facilities for clients. There will also be a free medical clinic with patient rooms. Clients can meet with case managers and get help with mental health and substance use issues from partner organizations.

“This is a line of work stations where people can apply for jobs,” Reed added as she showed us a spacious room, still under construction.

Staff and volunteers also support about 600 people annually with job searches, resume and application help, tax filing, and housing assistance.

“Our vision is to have a one-stop shop,” Reed said. “Whatever your barriers are, we’ll get some help for you.”

The center will house an immigration integration program and has space to expand in the future. 

Nearly $3 million in state and federal contributions helped cover the $5.1 million cost of the building, with the remaining $2.1 million from corporate and individual donations.

Amy Landry is a volunteer with the nonprofit’s capital campaign.

“We hope that by offering those services and making them much more accessible, we will be able to ensure they can get the services they need without having to come back,” Landry said. 

Being downtown allows the organization to serve its elderly and disabled clients. There will also be more storage for outerwear and diapers, which are given to clients.

The nonprofit’s day shelter often reaches capacity in winter, forcing it to turn some people away. The hope is that more room means help will always be available through these doors.