Primary Mission

Starfish Village serves and advocates for those who are homeless, facing homelessness or who, for other reasons, struggle to acquire or maintain necessities to live safe and dignified lives. We provide assistance when help is denied elsewhere and sometimes in partnership with other agencies.

 

Starfish Village Ministry is practical, rational, and common-sense driven.

 

Guiding Principle

Starfish Village serves people in need regardless of who they are and where they are on life’s journey. We never ask anyone their religion; we never apply any religious litmus test to those served and we never proselytize. We believe service to others is about our own faith beliefs and has nothing whatsoever to do with the faith of those we serve.  Strict adherence to this rule has earned us the respect of those we help, and the respect and trust of the wider community of social welfare professionals, advocates, civil  authorities, and friends and families of those in need.

Who We Are

Starfish Village is a community focused, social welfare ministry of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Waterville, Maine. It is directed by its co-pastors, Rev. Maureen Ausbrook and Rev. Nancy Findlan, both ordained Interfaith ministers. Rev.Ian Lynch is the pastor of the church and serves on our Leadership Team, other Leadership Team members are Nancy Sanford, Sally Melcher-McKeagney, Jackie Kulik and Joan Brown.

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Holistic and Discretion-directed Care

Institutional culture matters: We aim to screen people in, not screen them out. Our holistic approach serves the whole person; it shows respect for the humanity in everyone and recognizes each person as an individual – placing people over process. Our co-pastors have the freedom to exercise wise discretionary judgment which gives Starfish Village its most unique and important characteristic, something uncommon in the world of social welfare: flexibility and adaptability. Flexibility and adaptability allow us to personalize our responses in ways that continue to make sense: help is individualized and realistic; it targets real needs, can be delivered expeditiously, and always strives to preserve dignity and free choice. Starfish Village serves in five ways: 

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• direct engagement offering financial assistance to those in need

•  skilled and caring listening, guidance and modeling re: life skills 

•  assistance to other service providers (social workers, case managers)    

•  advocacy with other agencies on behalf of individuals

•  targeted advocacy that works to change local and state policies causing harm

 

Can You Help?

If this is the kind of local small proactive ministry you can support, then please help us help others with your financial gift.

 

Click the button to make your donation online:

 

 

Or you can mail a much needed donation directly to the church:

Starfish Village Ministry
c/o Waterville United Church of Christ
21 College Avenue, Suite #5
Waterville, ME O4901

 

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