WATERVILLE — The city is set to hold the 4th Annual Community Collaborate Support & Education Event this Tuesday, Sept. 15.
The event aims to bring residents and community partners together to share local resources for housing, health, engagement and basic needs, according to organizers.
Todd Stevens, the Waterville Police Department’s community outreach coordinator, said he hopes the centrally located event removes some of the barriers to accessing vital resources.
“It’s not just for the unhoused,” he said. “It’s for everyone in the community. There are a lot of services … (for the) elderly, Waterville Public Library, Waterville Creates, Alfond Recreation Center.”
The first Community Collaborate event took place in 2023. About 55 agencies participated that year, and participation has since grown to between 100 and 110 agencies and programs. The city does not track attendance, but Stevens said the event draws an average of 350 to 500 community members.
“The long-term goal is to have people heading down the right path,” Stevens said, adding he wants to start young residents on a good path and support both those in need of services and the people who care for them.
“We might only have one shot to help someone,” he said, and that urgency is why the city has invested so much in the event.
Lonny Martin, partnerships manager for Better Life Partners, prioritizes a “treat now” approach.
“In my experience, if someone walks away, they might not come back,” he said. “So when someone is in that vulnerable state and asking for help, it’s important to start them in treatment as soon as possible.”
Martin can intake new patients immediately at his table and said he believes the approach has helped Better Life Partners reach many more people.
He said the event also helps community organizations connect with one another.
Stevens agreed, noting he reviews which programs have immediate openings before the event so agencies can coordinate and get people into the best possible care as quickly as possible.
Carla Caron, executive director of the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen, said she values the event’s ability not only to connect people in need with services but also to keep providers in contact with one another.
The soup kitchen has recently begun collaborating with New Season and other organizations, including a mobile methadone clinic.
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’re going to get what you’ve always gotten,” Caron said, noting the need for fresh approaches to providing services.
The event is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday at Head of Falls Park, 51 Front St.
For more information, including a list of participants, see the Waterville Creates website.
