Turning Destruction into Signs of Hope:

Youth leaders help create and share beauty in challenging times.

Under the spring stay-at-home order our agency headquarters and Drop-in Center (the Ann Geiger Center for New Beginnings at 134 College Street in Lewiston) was closed to all but essential staff use. As we shared in this May Facebook post,we unfortunately experienced multiple episodes of vandalism and had to temporarily board over ground-floor windows to prevent more damage during security upgrades.

During that time, several members of our statewide Youth Action Board (YAB) expressed an interest in painting murals on the boards to send a message of hope and let the community know that New Beginnings was still here for youth in this time of crisis.

Executive Director Chris Bicknell loved their idea. Since the boards on the windows were temporary, he suggested they could instead create murals on large sandwich boards made from the removed plywood. Staff supported the YAB’s vision and worked to build and prime the boards that came off the windows. Chris invited other Lewiston-area nonprofits to paint and host a “Sign of Hope” at their locations too.

YAB members got to work designing the murals that now sit in front of our building, and the story was covered by the Sun Journal. With resources at hand and the creative drive of youth leaders and staff, the Signs of Hope project became a reality – sharing a little beauty and inspiration throughout Lewiston-Auburn.