When the federal government shut down, it hit the residents of Bangor’s Capehart especially hard.
Capehart is largely made up of the city’s public housing authority, BangorHousing, which provides subsidized homes to tenants who otherwise would not be able to afford a place to live. Of BangorHousing’s public housing units, 74% rely on benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which stalled during the shutdown, according to data from the housing authority.
While the federal government has reopened and benefits such as food and heating assistance have resumed, the rising cost of everyday items remains a challenge for the residents of one of Bangor’s poorest neighborhoods, especially during the holiday season. To help ease that burden, Capehart’s Resident Council has started an essential items drive, largely driven by Kelley Grindle, the vice president of the council, along with Rebekah Horowitz, the council’s president.
“We have a lot of families with disabled parents, disabled children. I myself am [the mother of] a family of disabled children, and it’s hit me hard, real hard, this year,” Grindle said. “I know it’s hitting my neighbors just as hard.”
The item drive is meant to fill the gap between other public assistance programs, Horowitz said. While SNAP benefits returning means struggling families can afford food, everyday items like laundry detergent, menstrual products, diapers and even paper towels can be out of reach for families in Capehart because the cost of those products has increased.
“I work 55 hours a week as a clinician and paper towels are a luxury for me,” Horowitz said.
Her experience, she said, refutes the misconception that public housing residents live rent-free and are taking advantage of government programs to avoid working.
In Grindle’s case, she is unable to work a traditional job as the primary caregiver for her young children, who are disabled and need a high level of care and services, she said.
“There’s a stigma with society, that we’re all bad people, that we’re all living off the state, and we’re all drug addicts and just not good people, we don’t work,” Grindle said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. This is a community full of working families.”
As the holiday season begins, donating essential items will also help BangorHousing residents afford gifts and special holiday meals for their families, Grindle and Horowitz said.
Donations for the drive can be dropped off at the Opportunity Center inside the Boys and Girls Club of Bangor, located at 161 Davis Road. Capehart’s resident council is also seeking local businesses willing to host drop boxes for the effort. People interested can contact BangorHousing at 207-942-6365 for more information.
The drive is seeking the following items for donation:
Cleaning supplies
Multi-purpose cleaner
Disinfectant spray/wipes
Kitchen or bathroom cleaner
Glass cleaner
Floor cleaner
Dish soap
Sponges
Toilet cleaner
Laundry supplies
Laundry soap
Fabric softener
Dryer sheets
Trash bags
Toilet paper
Hand soap
Tissues
Paper towels
First aid supplies (band-aids and antibiotic ointment, and thermometer)
Sandwich bags
Diapers-all sizes
Overnight diapers – all sizes
Baby soap
Baby lotion
Baby wipes
Shampoo and conditioner
Body soap
Tooth paste
Floss
Tooth brush
Deodorant
Menstrual pads or tampons