As many of you know, The Gathering Place (TGP) is a daytime shelter in Brunswick that opened in 2011. TGP provides a safe, welcoming, and comfortable space for individuals experiencing homelessness, living in unstable circumstances, or just looking for a community to gather in a safe, supportive environment.

In 2016, TGP moved into its current location at 5 Tenney Way and has become a refuge for so many who desire the opportunity to feel valued, welcomed, supported, and restore hope for their future.

TGP is a welcoming center for those in our community that no other agency can help — a safety net. A place where our team of staff and volunteers surround our guests in their vast arms of contacts, make calls and find solutions to the passing problems that seem to have no easy path. We see many new faces daily, desperate for help. We are witnessing an unprecedented number of guests struggling with mental health needs and substance use disorders.

Families experiencing homelessness for the first time are visiting, terrified and desperate to find shelter. We continue to see individuals in their 70s at risk of eviction because of rising rents. The need for TGP is more significant than ever.

The Gathering Place is a nonprofit organization supported by generous donations and grants. Last year, we held our first fundraising event — a golf Tournament at Highland Green Golf Course in Topsham. Thanks to the generosity of John Wasileski and Highland Green Management for donating the course, carts and lunch, TGP raised significant funds. It was a great day, and we successfully reached our fundraising goals. As a result, we decided to go bigger and better for 2023.

We moved the event to The Bath Country Club, an 18-hole golf course associated with Long Reach Kitchen and Catering. Once
again, John Wasileski and Highland Green Management stepped forward to help support our commitment to growing the event. HM Payson generously agreed to be the tournament’s Major sponsor, and Priority Real Estate Group and Revision Energy made a significant commitment to The Gathering Place by agreeing to be Supporting sponsors of the tournament.

In addition, the following companies have committed to sponsoring a hole; Bath Savings, Big Top Deli, Bill Dodge Auto, Boucher Perkins Campbell Paradis, Bowdoin College, CEI, Developers Collaborative, MidCoast Hospital Maine Health, Moncure Barnicle, Norway Savings, Wild Oats Bakery, and Marc Fournier. We have received additional support from so many businesses and friends.

This tournament is about community and fun, but we all know we will have some competitive golfers among our players. We planned for that and have some fantastic prizes for this year’s tournament, including a $25,000 cash prize for a hole-in-one. There are various other prizes for the longest drive, one for men and one for women; closest to the pin, one for men and one for women, thanks to the
generosity of Kathy Hirst, one of TGP’s wonderful volunteers.

There will be a 50/50 raffle and raffles for additional donated items. We would like enough donated items so most golfers walk away with a prize, including a goodie bag with gift cards and golf balls. So many of our local businesses have come forward to help, and we’re so grateful.

We still have a few spots left in the tournament, so if you want a great day of fun and a little competition, please join us. The 2nd Annual Gathering on the Green golf tournament will take place on Monday, Aug. 21, with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. at Bath Country Club. The format for the tournament is a Scramble and registration will begin at 7 a.m.

Whether we go to school, to work, or to our homes, we take for granted that we have a place to be during the day. TGP fills a critical gap in our social safety net by providing a safe, secure, and welcoming place where our most vulnerable citizens can spend the day.

Please join us in our efforts to help so many in our community. Register online at BrunswickGatheringPlace.org or call at (207) 729-0288 and ask for Mary Connolly, executive director, or Jenny Gaghan, volunteer coordinator. Happy summer!

Ann Linder is a member of The Gathering Place’s board.