For me, home is being greeted by my dogs’ wagging tails and the comfort of bookshelves filled with stories I’ve hauled from one place to the next. It’s the laughter shared with loved ones that fills the rooms.

At Tedford Housing, our mission is clear: to move people from homelessness to home. Yet, what I’ve learned is that “home” means something different to every individual we serve — each story a testament to the power of stability and belonging.

When tabling at local events, our team of Tedford staff and volunteers invites community members to paint miniature wooden houses. Some recreate their childhood homes, while others envision stone castles or quaint cottages in the woods. Regardless of their artistic approach, I make an effort to ask each person what feelings or images come to mind when they think of “home.”

This exercise has uncovered cherished memories: the smell of a favorite meal cooking in the kitchen, the laughter shared around a dinner table, or the chaos of family gatherings with a pet running through the room with muddy paws. Some describe the security of a physical shelter — a strong roof over their heads and walls that keep out the cold winter winds.

For one community member, home was synonymous with accessibility. Approaching the Tedford table in his wheelchair, he told me his grandson had recently spent a weekend building a ramp to the entryway of his house. He eagerly showed me a photo he took on his phone; his grandson was smiling ear to ear as he installed the final boards. While tucking his phone back into his pocket, he thoughtfully explained that this image wasn’t just documenting an exciting structural addition to his house. Rather, it captured the moment he gained independence and transformed his house into a haven.

Others emphasize the emotional comfort and support found within those walls — of having someone who offers words of encouragement, listens to worries, and celebrates successes. A pair of young girls sharing pink paint to recreate Barbie’s Dream House talked about their sisterhood. They laughed and told stories about whispered ghost stories under their blanket, painting their bunk bed in the absence of their parents, and holding hands while ice skating on the pond in their backyard.

One participant opened their arms wide and gestured to the open Brunswick town square around them, sharing that this community and its residents renewed their belief in the concept of home. They felt most at home while taking morning walks to grab coffee from the cafe down the street, greeting neighborhood children as they waited for the bus, and sharing smiles at the weekly farmers market.

As we plan to move into a new building, these considerations are at the forefront of our minds. Tedford is expanding to serve more guests, and we are excited to make this new space our own — a place where every individual can find not just shelter, but stability, accessibility, comfort, community, and the foundation to build new memories.

Our “Almost Home” fundraising effort signifies our progress towards this vision. With groundbreaking on the horizon and fundraising close to our $8.8M goal, we are on the cusp of providing a crucial safety net for local families and individuals facing homelessness. This new emergency housing facility will not only enhance our capacity to support our community, but also ensure that every person who walks through our doors receives the care and resources they need to get back on their feet. This transition represents not only growth for Tedford, but a renewed commitment to the diverse and deeply personal definitions of what it means to truly have a place to call home.

Katrina Webster is a development and communications associate at Tedford Housing, which operates the Brunswick area’s homeless shelter.

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