LEWISTON, Maine — According to a report from the Maine State Housing Authority in 2022, 1,073 children under the age of 18 were reported as being unhoused last year.
A community donation-based store called Store Next Door is trying to help students in Lewiston Public Schools get the necessities they need such as clothing, food, and hygiene products.
"We see kids every single day, either to check in or get what they need," Jamie Caouette, the store's director, said.
To many Lewiston K-12 public school students, she's like family.
"We become that parent to them. So, if you have a kid, your kid knows if they are in trouble, so they reach out to their parent," Caouette explained.
The main hub for the Store Next Door is located in the basement of the Longley School. It's a place where students can hang out, shop, eat, and even take a shower.
They also have a store located at Lewiston High School where students can get clothing and food and hygiene products they need to take home with them.
"Sometimes these youth come to school for that meal or that might be the only meal they are having or their only connection to an adult or just warmth," Caouette said.
The Store Next Door can simply just be a place to hang out after school.
"I'm always there. We watch movies over there. I go there all the time. I do my homework there because that's where I can focus doing my homework," Danielson Dozolo, a Lewiston High School senior, said.
Danielson knows firsthand the impact of the store. He first came to it two years ago to get food and clothing after his apartment caught on fire.
"I was homeless for like two or three months, and it's really bad. I understand, where I come from I've seen that a lot," he added.
To donate to the Store Next Door, click here.