Kevin Boilard shows the setup to overnight guests Thursday at Lewiston’s winter warming center operated by Kaydenz Kitchen, located in the former Schemengees Bar & Grille. Each guest will have a labeled durable plastic bag to store their belongings and mark their space on the floor, along with an optional resting mat and blanket. Guests can also watch TV or play games with others. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — The building had already been completely dismantled and emptied of all furniture when Kevin Boilard and his team at Kaydenz Kitchen began making other changes. Among the first was the removal of a film that tinted the windows, allowing natural light back in.

The former Schemengees Bar & Grille, one of two locations targeted in the October 25 shooting last year, will now host an overnight winter warming center for the homeless starting Friday night and running through April 30.

“It was kind of symbolic, bringing a whole new light to the facility,” Boilard said, referring to the changes made.

After that, he said, the warming center put together a piece of furniture, a rug, a blanket through community donations.

That’s one reason Boilard feels his organization’s effort to address homelessness finally has “community buy-in” as it heads into its second year of hosting an overnight warming center. After last year’s operation at Calvary United Methodist Church was generally well-received by city leaders and the public, Boilard said the team worked hard to overcome “preconceived stigmas and stereotypes that consumed conversations about homelessness “.

“Once you see the support start to grow, we really believe that positivity is just as contagious as negativity, and what we’ve been able to do is change the dynamic of that conversation into a more positive atmosphere,” he said.

The previous year’s warm-up at Calvary was not as well received by officials, making the effort more difficult to move forward. But Boilard said when Kaydenz Kitchen was tapped to run the operation last year at Calvary, they knew it was “a game-changing opportunity.”

Kevin Boilard shows off some of the kitchen appliances donated Thursday at the new winter warming center operated by Kaydenz Kitchen, located in the former Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston. Many restaurants in the area have offered to bring trays of food, which can be heated in the kitchen. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Boilard and his team were behind previous efforts to advocate for shelters that were ultimately rejected by city officials, but he said they took concerns from the city and the public and “re-evaluated” their approach. A big part of that was a focus on community acceptance, openness to having difficult conversations, and transparency around finances.

“We went in with the highest expectations and raised the bar as far as our team’s success has shown,” he said, adding that the team has even higher expectations for this winter at the new location. “Some of our biggest challengers two or three years ago are now some of our supporters.”

Boilard said they want to show neighbors and nearby businesses that they will bring value to the area and adhere to a “good neighbor” city policy that requires shelters to work to immediately resolve any disturbances or related issues caused. according to the clientele.

“We want to be invisible from the outside looking in,” he said.

Kevin Boilard unwraps snacks Thursday at the new winter warming center operated by Kaydenz Kitchen, located in the former Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston. The shelter will partner with area restaurants and markets to provide meals Sunday through Wednesday. Bates College will provide meals on Thursday, and community members can bring Crock-Pot meals on Friday and Saturday. The shelter will be open starting Friday evening. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

In September, Kaydenz Kitchen was too selected by the City Council to operate Lewiston’s first permanent, low-barrier shelter, which appears to serve between 40-60 guests year-round. A low-barrier shelter does not deny entry for reasons such as being under the influence, attending religious services, or lack of identification.

Boilard said the Schemengees location would be ideal for the permanent shelter, but the decision would ultimately rest with city officials.

Boilard hopes the trend in community support can extend to the permanent shelter, but he said the team knows this winter’s warming center could swing the pendulum of public opinion either way.

He said part of the difficulty was addressing concerns about a low-barrier model for permanent shelter, even though the emergency warming center is essentially a “barrier-free” operation. Due to state laws, warming centers are not allowed to provide beds.

Winter Warming Center at 551 Lincoln St. will be open seven days a week from 8pm to 8am.

On Wednesday, Kaydenz Kitchen hosted an open house for first responders, many of whom have not returned to the building since last year’s shootings. Boilard said they wanted to make sure they could have that moment before the building officially opened.

“It was kind of an amazing moment to be a part of,” he said. “You could tell there was still some emotion, but there was a lot of appreciation.”

Mayor Carl Sheline said Thursday that turning Schemengees into a warming center “represents a significant amount of effort and is a great example of turning something tragic into a positive development for our city.”

Others on the warming center team include Tonya Sands, day shelter manager at Trinity Jubilee Centre; Kimber Sands, administrator for Blue Sky Counseling; Jamie Caouette, school department store manager; Linda Scott, behavioral health professional and former city councilor; and Megan Parks, Substance Use Counselor and School Committee Chair.

Kaydenz Kitchen was the only local agency to respond to a city request for proposals this summer to operate a warming center. The bid was $119,868.

Boilard has also since moved the Kaydenz Kitchen resource center, clothing closet and food pantry to the Lincoln Street location, providing services to the homeless during the day.

The common area at the winter warming center operated by Kaydenz Kitchen, seen Thursday, has a television and a movie collection. The shelter will be open starting Friday evening. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Copy the story link