For 50 years, the mission of Preble Street has been to provide accessible, barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty and to advocate for solutions to these problems. The Lowe’s Hometowns grant will transform an underused and unsafe area of the Elena’s Way Wellness Shelter into a client consultation room and conference room through demolition, framing, installing furnishing, and updates such as mechanical retrofitting, electrical rewiring, painting, and finish work.

Milestone Recovery provides compassionate, life-saving care to individuals battling homelessness, substance use disorders, and mental health challenges. With the Lowe’s Hometowns grant, Milestone will create a sanctuary of healing through a 12' x 24' gazebo, a peaceful reflection area with gardens, and a hardscaped pathway illuminated to offer safety and accessibility. This outdoor space will provide individuals in early recovery a place to find calm, support, and hope — a critical step toward rebuilding their lives with dignity and resilience.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, the largest food access agency in a six-county region of Maine, has empowered low-income populations with dignified access to food for over 41 years. With the Lowe’s Hometowns grant, MCHPP's main food pantry and soup kitchen will add a welcoming, ADA-compliant front entrance, refurbished restrooms, freshly painted floors and walls, a weather-resilient entry awning, a replacement deli case, painted parking spaces, and replacement heating/cooling pumps to reduce noise and regulate temperature.

Mayo Street Arts (MSA) is a neighborhood community arts center located in Portland's East Bayside neighborhood. The Lowe's Hometowns project will include critical repairs to enhance energy efficiency, including updates to windows, new insulation, HVAC and a new water heater. Exterior updates to drainage, rotting window sills, trim and siding will also be made to refresh the 134-year-old building. Energy efficiency will be increased with new insulation, HVAC and a water heater.

As a behavioral health nonprofit, Sweetser supports children and families with services for mental and behavioral health, developmental services, education and recovery. In wanting to creating a safe space for children to play, this project will replace dilapidated play equipment with a new, ADA-compliant playground and a multi-purpose court for children’s outdoor games.

Westbrook High School teaches environmental science and sustainable practices, but the building's interior tells a contradictory story. This project would create a greenhouse initiative to support curriculum addressing community needs and implementing sustainable practices from tilling soil and planting seeds to harvesting and preparing meals. Students will experience hands-on, project based learning and will be able to take food home to help feed their families, many of whom are food insecure and living below the poverty line.