H.O.M.E., Inc.
June, 2001
In 1970, Homeworkers
Organized for More Employment, Inc. (H.O.M.E.) was founded
as a craft cooperative by Sister Lucy A. Poulin, a contemplative
Carmelite Nun who at the time lived in a monastery in Orland,
Maine. After a local shoe factory went out of business, a woman
who had lost her job came to Sister Lucy and pleaded, "Please,
can you help me? I have no money, but I can make beautiful quilts.
Can you help me sell them?" This simple request inspired
Lucy to work with the community to create an opportunity for
local women who were struggling to make ends meet to earn money
selling the crafts they already knew how to make. And so, H.O.M.E.
was born.
Jan Bailey is one woman who has benefited from Sister Lucy's vision and initiative. Jan has lived her entire life in rural Maine, surrounded by the serene environment and people she describes as, "friendly, outgoing, and always helping each other." Despite the abundance of cultural and environmental richness in the area, economic wealth is more difficult to find. "It is very difficult for rural Maine people," admits Jan, "They have to go to cities to get jobs. If you don't cut pulp or drive a pulp truck, there just don't seem to be any jobs for you."
Unemployment was Jan's case 15 years ago, when she took a basket-weaving lesson with a group of friends. She enjoyed the lesson so much that she has not stopped weaving since! Finding an outlet to sell the baskets, however, proved difficult. That is when she discovered H.O.M.E.'s retail store, which provides a market for local Maine artisans. Not only is H.O.M.E.'s store ideally positioned on a primary tourist route in coastal Maine, but their use of the internet has provided a nationwide market for the rural crafts-people.
When Jan began working
with H.O.M.E., her basket sales were her only source of income:
"But it still wasn't enough," she admits. Luckily,
Jan found a job working full time at a local nursing home as
a medical technician. During her time off, she continues to weave
baskets for H.O.M.E. and is able to support herself in her simple
lifestyle, living in a home that uses solar power and no electricity.
Creating comprehensive
community development in isolated areas is a challenge. In the
last three decades, however, H.O.M.E. has grown from a craft
store housed in one small building to a substantial organization.
H.O.M.E.'s many projects help the community address their needs
with grassroots-focused and people-led development.
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On the H.O.M.E grounds, a large building, constructed mostly with volunteer labor, houses a retail gift shop; a learning center where basic adult education and GED classes are held; and a fully licensed day care for low -income families.
Several cottage industries, including a weaving/spinning studio, pottery studio, woodworking shop, sawmill and shingle mill, offer training and employment. An automotive garage offers discounted rates for employees and low-income individuals. A free health clinic serves low-income families who cannot afford health care and a free dental clinic is expected in the near future. Seven homeless shelters, a soup kitchen, and a food pantry provide food and shelter to families who otherwise would not have enough to eat. A construction crew works with the Covenant Community Land Trust (CCLT) to offer affordable housing to low-income families. Currently H.O.M.E./CCLT have built 34 houses and plan to build 14 more over the next three years.
H.O.M.E. also has a relationship with a sister
community in San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala. Four times a year,
a H.O.M.E. delegation travels on a ten-day excursion to take
part in the lives of their sisters and brothers in rural Latin
America. Like H.O.M.E., their sister community has gifted craftworkers.
You can purchase their unique hand woven gifts and wall hangings
through the www.SuperMarketCoop.com website.