On Friday, Members of Portland’s unhoused population and allies started to pack up tents in which they’ve camped outside City Hall fot the past two weeks in protest of policies criminalizing homelessness amid a growing housing crisis.
The Portland City Hall encampment had become a hub of community support. Some local businesses in the area were quick to help the population with donations of money and supplies as the protesters rallied against policies on outdoor camping, affordable housing, not freezing evictions and the lack of overdose prevention sites.
The protest started on July 22 after many homeless people in the city were getting forced out of Deering Oaks Park, where they had initially gathered, after 7 p.m. Many retreated there after shelters in the area have closed or are implementing waiting lists in order to comply with coronavirus guidelines.
Through soaring temperatures and, most recently, the tropical storm Isaias that hit Maine earlier this week, people were parked in front of City Hall. According to Associated Press, an estimated 200 people stopped by the site daily for supplies while around 50 stayed overnight.
“There was no big conversation about it, everyone was immediately on board,” Vanessa Bissell of Highroller Lobster Company said. “It’s right there, in front of our faces. Our staff was very eager to donate.”
Highroller Lobster Company is located on upper Exchange Street, one block from where the encampment was set up. The restaurant, which is now on its third year operating, added a “donate” button to their online virtual menu through which many customers donated to support the encampment.
Bissell said that the staff immediately (some with their own money) rushed to Sam’s Club to buy supplies like toilet paper in bulk and cleaned out their closets at home to donate toiletries.
According to the City of Portland website, in June, 2020, an average of 377 individuals stayed at a Portland Shelter each night. Unemployment rates in Cumberland County are at 6.7 percent, compared to 2.3 percent last year.
The Maine People’s Housing Coalition posted on Facebook regularly what supplies were needed for the encampment. Needs changed frequently, particularly in anticipation of extreme weather, but they often included sanitation products to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and sleeping materials as well as products to address basic needs like sunscreen, hot meals and water.
Bissel said she and her colleagues “worked with the People’s Housing Coalition [PHC] and tried to be careful to donate what they actually need.” Earlier this week she said they were “able to coordinate with them to bring up hot meals, snacks and gatorade.”
According to Ben Culiver, the co-owner of Arcadia National Bar, the space opened up their bathroom for those at the encampment to use. In addition, across the street at Slab, Culiver said that he helped carry over 16 pizzas one day for those camping out.
“A lot of service industry folk are more in tune to what is going on in the streets, and a lot of businesses are right there, and living in the neighborhoods where these people exist,” Culiver said. “It’s a different time too, with COVID, it makes you rethink the burdens that everyone faces.”
Culiver said Arcadia National Bar hasn’t been open because of the coronavirus, but that they decided that one of the small ways that they could help was through opening up their restrooms from 6am to midnight. Employees take turns manning the space and making sure hand sanitizer and masks are available if needed to ensure proper safety measures.
Bissell wanted to emphasize that Highroller wasn’t doing this for publicity. They were inspired by other members of the community that had stepped up and volunteered their time to help or have helped through donations.
“We are playing a small part of it,” she said. “We aren’t leading the change, we are a small piece.”
On Thursday, the Maine People’s Housing Coalition posted a note on Facebook explaining that they are transitioning the direct action encampment to “provide mutual aid in a more sustainable fashion.” While thanking everyone that had donated or volunteered to the effort, they asked that folks pause their donating directly at city hall.
“We will be continuing to assist in connecting folks to resources and shelter as we move forward, and we are doing what we can to support the community during this transition,” they wrote.
Photo: Volunteers hand out supplies at the Portland City Hall encampment. | Dan Neumann, Beacon
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