ROCKPORT, Maine — The only homeless shelter in Knox County has closed its doors with no notice, leaving area churches and service providers scrambling to meet the needs of those without a place to live.
The Mid-Coast Hospitality House closed within the past few weeks although the exact date and circumstances surrounding the closure are not being revealed.
“No comment,” said Samantha Mank on Monday at city hall, where she works as general assistance director for Rockland. Mank and her husband Gordon Mank Jr., had run the shelter since 1999.
Papers dissolving the nonprofit corporation were filed on Nov. 27 with the corporation bureau within the Maine Secretary of State’s Office.
Former Hospitality House board member Kathie Carrigan of Camden said Monday that she first learned of the closure recently when she received telephone calls from volunteers who were bringing cooked meals to the shelter and found it closed.
There are no signs posted at the shelter announcing its closure. The telephone number of the shelter is out of service.
Former Board Chairman the Rev. Walden Chandler of St. George said he only learned of the closure because he drove by on Dec. 1 and noticed there were no lights on in the building. He said he has spoken to other former board members and they have all expressed surprise. Chandler left the board earlier this year because his term ended.
Board Secretary Carol Mills said Monday she was unaware that the shelter had closed until contacted by the Bangor Daily News. Mills said she last attended a board meeting in March and had not been informed by the Manks.
Officials with the Maine State Housing Authority, which administers some funding for such shelters, have tried without success to contact the Manks, according to Deborah Turcotte, the public information manager for the state agency. She said MSHA has heard from people in the area about the shelter being closed and have left telephone and email messages with the Manks.
“We’re reviewing all our options,” Turcotte said Monday.
Turcotte said the agency understands there is a need for a shelter in the Midcoast.
The nearest shelters to Rockport are Waterville, Bangor and Brunswick, each are more than an hour away.
Anne Beebe-Center, who is working on a pilot program to assist the homeless in Knox County through Penquis, said she too has been unable to find out what has happened with the shelter but said the need is indisputable in the region.
“The need is huge,” Beebe-Center said.
She said local families in need of emergency shelter are being sent to Waterville but most of these people want to remain in their local communities.
The Penquis pilot program, aided by a grant from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development involves putting up families in local hotels during their offseason and providing them with education and job services. A study is being done on how to meet the local need, and that report is expected to be done by March.
Turcotte said the housing authority reimbursed the Hospitality House for qualified expenses. She was gathering additional information about when the last payments were made and how much was paid.
According to the last income tax filing by the non-profit Hospitality House, that covered the 12 months ending March 31, 2011, the shelter had expenses of $165,631 with revenues of $122,035. At the end of that year, the Hospitality House still had $298,839 in reserves.
The Hospitality House served 236 individuals for the year ending March 31, 2011, according to its IRS filing.
The Rev. Chandler said the Hospitality House could serve up to 15 people at a time.
The Rev. Peter Jenks of the Episcopal Church of St. John Baptist said he also had been unsuccessful in contacting the Manks and finding out what was happening with the shelter. He said there is a great need.
“You may not have to step over people sleeping on the sidewalks, but there are many homeless people,” the Rev. Jenks said.
Turcotte said one of the things being looked at by the housing authority is what will happen with the shelter.
The dissolution paperwork filed with the Maine Secretary of State’s Office was signed Nov. 26 by Joslyn Couch, who was listed as chairman of the board. All debts and liabilities of the corporation have either been paid or adequate provisions taken to do that, according to the paperwork. There are no lawsuits pending against the shelter, according to the dissolution papers.
The nonprofit Mid-Coast Hospitality House purchased the property in October 1989. The 2,434-square-foot building, located on Old County Road in Rockport just over the line from Rockland, is valued by the town at $370,000.
It closed because the economy is doing great and homelessness is in the decline in the United States. Thats why Obama was reelected was it not? the economy is doing great
Dummy
Don’t you have something useful to contribute? No, I guess not.
Do you?
Just about the same contribution you have made.
typical racist, segregationist, bigoted lib….your don’t agree with me, therefore, your voice doesn’t matter…
Larry, don’t you have a shoulder to go sob on?
LOL…Humor at the expense of Obama is lost on libs I guess…Still funny though…
Only a conservative could laugh at someone being homeless. I hope it never happens to you or someone you love.
Only a liberal would think I was laughing at homeless folks..The joke was about Obama…But thanks for tossing the Red Herring in…LOL…
I’m laughing at homeless folks… Now be nice, no bullying.
Why do you right wing nuts continue to bury your head in the sand when it comes to the FACT that Georgie put the economy on the brink of Depression,and yet you continue to blame Obama?
Because Obama took a horrible situation and made it much, much worse.
Only for rich people
Obama took the job proclaiming he could ‘fix’ all the things Bush did ‘wrong’.
Promises and small change; we now have are more wars and terrorist groups; expensive foreign occupations and many more corrupt officials to feed; a growing codependency on Asian economies, and our kids looking for jobs in Canada.
And to make matters worse, Obie is printing more money with little to back it up except WMD; so the bozo’s who voted for him are getting the illusion of getting paid more; but the reality is the dollar is now falling in value against other currencies, under Obama, more is less, Peace is War, etc.!
Happy Holiday!…May you all vacation in Hawaii at the taxpayer’s expense for 3 weeks and eat SPAMwiches every day.
I’ll do the follow up:
1. The Bush tax cuts, 2 wars ( entered into by BUSH) and the medicare part D drug program (which DOESN’T allow bulk purchasing power or negotiating prices) ALL created the deficit ( and debt).
2. R’s policies to DEREGULATE the financial sector allowed the fox to quard the chicken house. It didn’t work out well for the chicken ( taxpayers). IT BUSTED the economy .
3. Obama is the cleanup crew and simply charged with the cleaning up the mess OTHERS created.
Doing a great job is he? Which country do you live in?
Actually Obama is doing a pretty darn good job if you watch gas prices go down and the jobs reports go up. Much better than LePage has done…….
Yeah, right, watch the “jobs report” go up, as more and more people are just removed from the “work force”.
Look at population growth for the past 3.7 years, then compare the negative growth in the “work force”.
And yet, some people claim (with a straight face, I wonder?) that unemployment is only 8.3%, and is coming down.
If you listen to the jobs reports on the radio, they account for the people leaving the work force, when factoring the current uptick in percentages. And comparing current population growth to current jobs is apples to oranges.
and those gas prices are going “down” where?
Actually just this week, gas prices declined 9 cents here in Waldo County.
Long way to go to get to $1.90 where they were when Ob.. took office
Bush = Obama
we ALL know that, so what’s your point Sally?
same reason you blame bush for all the words ill’s, when it was Clinton that deregulated wall street, and Barny Frank that led the charge against putting tighter restriction on mortgages during Bush 2. Anyone that thinks all blame can go in one place, has some growing up to do.
Not to mention the fact that the only way to fund a war is with Congressional approval of the funds…which they are still approving by the way. Bush took 8 years to add almost $5 trillion to the deficit and Obama took less than 4 years to add more than $6 trillion (www.treasurydirect.gov). Clean-up crew? What has he cleaned up?
ah –Bush’s deficit was 10 trillion when he left office and much of Obama’s deficit IS carry over from Bush ( and R’s ) policies— like the wars, the tax cuts, medicare part D–( and R policies). PS you didn’t get those numbers from the treasury … but from some black back grounded homemade website — heck even the right media aren’t making that claim!!.
it will be Bush’s fault when ObamaCare kicks in next month too. I’m not looking forward to losing another chunch of my pay check to that mess. I can’t afford to support everyone and pay their ‘insurance’ too.
Voters did it, congress approved it, and now the dems blame others. Bright.
It is a government website…guess your claiming the Treasury Department has no clue huh? Wow! In January 2000, the US debt was $5.6 Trillion and in January 2008, it was $9.8 Trillion. As of November 2012, the US debt is $16.4 Trillion. Try doing your research before accusing someone of making stuff up. I invite anyone that thinks I’m pulling the information from “some black back grounded homemade website” to go to http://www.treasurydirect.gov and click on “view monthly statement of public debt”. The numbers don’t lie…the media and politicians…now that’s a whole different story.
I blame Bush for all ills??What are you talking about? Put words in peoples mouths often?
Probably because Bush billed himself as a compassionate conservative.
What does a homeless shelter in midcoast Maine closing have anything to do with a man who left office four years ago? I can’t believe how eager you all are to point fingers and assign blame and assume the worst.
Oshama-isms.
Oshama is to blame, do the math. ROFLMAO.
How many people that went out of their way to obtain needed skills for a job with openings can’t get a position in that field? If you spend 100k for skills that are not in demand you’ll not have employment. Being educated is not enough these days. Maine has plenty of job openings for those with specific skills. The days of getting paid big money for showing up at a mill are over. Lot’s of people are doing great here in Maine. You might find out why?
It might be doing good in other states, but we still have LePage
who is dealing with the mess the Dems have left him.
Bitter much ??!!
No, gloating at your voting.
Drugs…..who can blame them for closing?
I agree…It is really bad in the area…
they didn’t “close”. It was abandoned by the Manks. They could have resigned, but it seems doing things in a shady manner is the only way they know how to operate. And to think she’s in charge of public welfare in rockland too. I don’t understand why people are so stupid when it comes to noticing something’s not kosher.
So where are these Manks from…originally, that is? What did they do, swoop into town w/all this city slicker fanfare to try to sell the “dumb” Mainers a bill of goods? When will we ever wise up?
Hopefully the city of Rockland will notice if something is not kosher. But the way the city does things at times, they may just give the welfare director a raise because of the increase in cases from the area’s only shelter closing. Me thinks the state should be investigating all of this.
again, the Manks in the middle of some scandal that involves innocent people of the community.. Imagine that.
again(?) ..more info please. Just rumor and innuendo or based on reality?
I DO see several issues here :
1. The financial conflict of interest of being BOTH the GA ( welfare) director AND owning the shelter ( and profiting from it.(?))
2 .”The Penquis pilot program, aided by a grant from the Maine Department of
Economic and Community Development involves putting up families in
local hotels during their offseason and providing them with education
and job services.’ So basically “an economic development grant ” to keep hotels full ( with the homeless) at what rate per nigh to taxpayers ? Doesn’t sound like a sound policy approach or very “efficient ” to me. Is this how the RIGHT now “does” housing ?
3. An inactive “board “
this is the same Gordon Mank that had no comment when he was caught for not living in Rockland, and lying to get on the ballot in Nov. No innuendo, totally based on reality and years of observation.
Here is the first report on Gordon Mank and his residency:
http://www.dirigoblue.com/2012/08/is-the-republican-candidate-for-rocklands-house-seat-living-in-the-district/
You have one for du HOUX’s various residencies?
What is the scandal?
Just get some free Obama money, duh.
Please don’t let it become a $400.00 a night inn. We’ve plenty of those and not enough shelters.
Not to worry, most of those $400.00 a night inns should be cheap weekly rentals very soon with the way things are going.
If it were an Inn or restaurant that would go out of the way to hire those without permanent homes and jobs….that would be OK. Lot’s of tourists would gladly patronize a business that helps people get back on their feet as long as the product had value. There are many ways to help the less fortunate without just giving away money. Most people do want to work.
Yes, I agree people want to work, there is no dignity in being unemployed. Having ANY job is preferable. A lot of pride and self worth comes from honest work.
We need to focus on attracting businesses, helping people start businesses, talk to each other about business ideas and supporting each other. It’s a cultural change that is required. If someone can own an inn and bring in $400 a night from visitors, all the better for the state, at least it’s money coming in.
Right now the hot businesses seem to be starting a non-profit that you can fool some government group into funding and then drawing a paycheck from it. That, and drug dealing and stealing copper pipes.
If that attitude keeps growing we won’t be able to attract anyone to spend $400 a night to visit. The weekly rental and monthly rental rooms will take over and homelessness and desperation will increase that much more.
.
i so agree with your comment there are alot of animal non profits going on also so beware when giving to these. some are out of the business and still are receiving funds townline animal shelter is one they have been out of business for ten years but got best of the best 5000 from bangor savings and they have cans and boxes for donations all across waldo county. i am sure the other shelters that work hard to save the animals and provide a service to the public could have used this income. just sad the world we live in. i hope someone steps up and does something to help the homeless in this area
This is what happens when you try to run a nation like a corporation. Ronald Reagan cut’s the corporate tax rate in half to 35% (which none have ever even paid that amount) destroys our manufacturing base while creating the money shuffle as America’s new industry, and by the time we get to ‘W’ my Fathers brand of middle class has already been dead for 15 years.
Today it’s copper wiring and dope. Tomorrow it’s rape and pillage. Imagine a revolution started by criminals. Gun sales are not off the charts because we have a Black President. Most read and hear the news of all the crime going on and most know the real realities out there.
The capital venture over the last several years has been homeless shelters and soup kitchens. The ma & pa small business much to the hype of some doesn’t offer much in the way of gainful employment, let alone getting hired before the relative does.
We need Industry/Manufacturing. Not restaurants, or pawn shops or motels and other assorted nuances.
America went from the ‘new deal’ to the ‘raw deal’..
I hear what you are saying, but I think we could debate causes forever. From my view it’s not a particular politician or NAFTA or union to blame, its the fact that the rest of the world has basically come on line. They were not going to stay 3rd world forever.
If you are talking about shoes and shirts, then right now it’s a race to the bottom to see who can work for less. In the future machines will do it for the least of all.
We have to take advantage of what we have. I’d say it’s not any particular ability to do assembly work. I certainly don’t think we do it worse than can be done in china, but can we do it any better?
We have lots of natural resources like timber and fishing and more coastline than any other state. We should make sure we just don’t ship the raw materials out of state, but rather do as much processing as possible here. Do something with the wood and then ship it. Package the seafood with a state brand or two. In terms of manufacturing we need to focus on high value tailored creation of things. Those are trends that would let us capitalize on the new found wealth of the new world’s middle class. What I mean is let them make our shoes, but buy our seafood, fine furniture and yachts.
Ironic twist of fate.
I wonder if Mank used any of the profits from HH to help pay for his campaign – and if so, is that legal?
Why the big secret about the exact date this place shuttered its doors? Why can’t the public have that info? Is the property already on the market, perhaps already sold?
I wonder if the money is gone also.
$165K + in debts, $122K + in revenue. Can u do math?
Was this info obtained from the records of the keepers of the inn so to speak?
Doing the rough math there is still about $ 176k still in the operating fund. What bugs me is why this shelter was closed down with no notice and the State, which by it’s own admission, hasn’t yet cut off the flow of fund’s to this shelter pending an audit by MSHA’s auditor’s. If the MSHA Governor’s had such a problem with the old director, Dale McCormick, for not doing her job then why is the current MSHA Director getting such a free pass ? And if there is something going on that shouldn’t be then I would suggest that Janet Mills get her ‘A’ game ready and start thinking about an audit and a Grand Jury being convened ’cause something is not right here. And with $ 176k in the kitty just siting there, maybe MSHA’s General Counsel ought to be getting a freeze order on all of the shelter’s account’s pending that audit.
I feel you don’t understand how complex the ’empire’ MSHA runs really is and how much of a ‘sponge’ it was for all the social service programs HUD threw at it. Look how many ‘messes’ the new leadership team has had to clean up already….which reminds me, whatever happened to Pat Barnes and her friends in the housing industry? Do you really think Jane Mills is going to actively prosecute all these ex-pats from the Baldacci crony clubs?
Just a wild guess, the guy and his wife(?) saw the headlights of an audit coming and fled after cashing the holiday donation checks…hmmmmm.
Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas… :
No room at the inn …….
I guess this would make Manks an uncompassionate conservative !
Yes, like the ‘compassionate’ democrats who are driving everyone they possibly can into an unsustainable welfare state that will ultimately fail the majority and leave most folks broke and homeless…..now THAT’S some compassion!
That’s one nice homeless center looking from the outside, much nicer looking then the Bangor one.
shocking to read it served 236 people. i do not know one person who could ever get gordo to return a phone call, when they would inquire about getting someone a room. he was pretty choosy about who he would help. if the place held 15 at a time, 236 a year is a pretty small number.
Sounds like a shady politician has an axe to grind with the community that put up a stink over his residency…
He caused the problem, not some shady politician. This is not a calamity, but an opportunity. With the CAN DO people in an area where churches willingly work together this is not the end.
I agree, it can only go up from here. I hope they are run out of town with their tails between their legs. Like stray dogs.
Stray dogs don’t do things deliberately to hurt others. They are simply victims of inhumane humans’ behavior.
We are so quick to judge, the Mank’s sacrificed so much to operate the shelter, for several years having the fund raisers and attempting to show many the Christian way….anytime we offer our time to the community or other cause for little or no compensation we are giving of ourself, there has to be a real concern or in there case a compassion for someone in need.
“Attempting to show many the Christian way.” That explains more than you realize.
No, trying to get through thick skulls that do not wait for the final say.
Other non-profits do fundraisers and work hard to care for whatever their chosen charity happens to be. But they are not necessarily profiled in newspaper headlines that give cause to speculation somethings are not on the up and up in their lives. If teaching Christianity was utmost on their minds I think they would have made certain everyone involved was properly notified before closing so as not to leave a state of confusion and speculation. My biggest issue w/this is that a city employee who can assist homeless is(I mean was)in charge of this non-profit shelter.
The Manks and some thing screwey, wow how could that happen?
what i would like to know is whom owns this property and how did it get purchased. also i do agree with freezing assets that were funded by the state or any other organization and shame on them. Could have found another venue to help the homeless and during the winter to leave them out in the cold. shame shame keep the politics out of it and just put something together to get help for the people in this area.
Sounds like fraudulent billing and they are preparing to go to court/prison.
Wow! Comments like that always amaze me, the ignorance is overwhelming.
good
My question is if there is a board of directors how can the Manks just close the doors? A board is supposed to make the decisions. Why don’t they go to the bank to see how much they have and then have a meeting to hire a new director?
This is Mank’s retribution for getting caught trying to cheat on his residency to get on the ballot. Nothing more, nothing less. He is a home-grown scumbag, however, not as some have suggested that he is a flatlandah.
Ummm.. Not a Mank supporter, but do you know that the real story is actually on Villagesoup? The truth of the matter is they stepped down due to his wife’s medical condition.
Somebody notify Webster’s dictionary! There is a new meaning out there for the words “step down” . It now means “to abandon”.
Of course we can’t have the state help a church to open up a shelter. It would make the atheists mad.
Perhaps Mr. Betts should do a little more research into this then what is stated. Villagesoup/Courier was able to get the story up with NO sensationalism AND were able to get it correct. See the story on the villagesoup site if you would like to actually read into what happened.
its clearly a hush hush deal a little embezzlement going on there and as if no one knew the place was closing the higher ups should of but that shows how much they pay attention to there businesses they can’t find out where the Manks are what did they disappear into thin air or skip the country seems very fishy that no one knows anything.