40 Years of New Beginnings for youth
1980
New Beginnings opens emergency shelter in Greene, ME
1986
Shelter moves to current location in Lewiston, ME
1989-90
Transitional Living Program (TLP) apartment sites open in Lewiston with Adventure Challenge component, and HIV Prevention Program begins supported by Maine Dept. of Education
1990
Street Outreach Program begins.
1997
Youth Outreach Drop-In Center opens in Lewiston
1999-2012
Outreach expands to Androscoggin, Franklin, and Kennebec counties
2000
Family mediation services begin; agency begins awarding $100–1,000 Dot Larrabee Youth Development Fund scholarships (“seed money for dreams”) to pursue education or job training
2002-07
TLP sites added in Lewiston, Farmington, and Augusta
2011
NB purchases former community center and begins fundraising to renovate into expanded Drop-In Center and agency headquarters in Lewiston
2012
Educational Support services begin as pilot program for shelter youth.
2013-2020
NB serves as nonprofit fiscal sponsor of Outright Lewiston-Auburn.
2014
NB pilots PowerSource Plus social-emotional literacy/mindfulness curriculum; incorporated into all programs after successful evaluation showed improvement in youths’ emotional regulation.
2015
Outreach, Drop-in, Educational Support, and administrative offices move into Ann Geiger Center (134 College St., Lewiston) after successful $1.25M building campaign.
2016
NB begins offering low barrier trauma-informed mental health services.
2017
NB launches 100-day challenge to identify and support Franklin County rural homeless youth.
2018
NB helps establish first statewide Youth Action Board to ensure homeless and system-involved youth have a voice in policy-making.
2019
Maine receives $3.35M HUD Youth homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant with NB as lead agency.
2020
NB celebrates 40 years of services and renames youth shelter Marian’s Place.