Shalom House, Inc.

10/28/2026

🌟 Starfish Winners Day Four! 🌟

Tony Giarratano, Statewide Subsidies Manager: Tony's nominator praised his leadership, dependability, and his commitment to his team. Our Subsidies department experienced a significant amount of change this past year, and Tony handled it with grace and care.

Throughout these changes, Tony remained professional, steady, and focused on the work. Tony is a true team player, always willing to help solve a problem, take on a challenge, or work with others to find a solution.

Beyond his work, Tony is a great colleague. His personality and humor bring such a positive feeling to Shalom House. Thank you for all you do, Tony! We couldn't do it without you!

10/26/2026

🌟 Starfish Winners Day Three! 🌟

Amanda Roach, Clinical Support & Relief Supervisor: "It is one thing to learn about it in a training or a classroom, it is another thing to witness someone live and breathe it in every interaction with clients - with consistency and genuine compassion."

Amanda was nominated by a colleague for her commitment to our mission, particularly her dedication to trauma-informed care. Her example inspired her nominator to reflect on the hard moments and challenging days, take a step back, and look at the bigger picture of why we do this work.

It’s hard to point to just one example of Amanda’s impact because this is simply who she is. Even when things get busy and hectic, Amanda remains calm and compassionate, helping others feel safe every single day.

Thank you, Amanda, for showing up for the people who need us and for being such a wonderful mentor in this work! 💚

10/23/2026

Starfish Awards Day Two! Today we are highlighting just one staff member because her nomination was so impactful.

🌟 Courtney Peare, Living Skills Specialist: "Without Courtney, I wouldn't have made it," said one of the residents Courtney works closely with.

Courtney's nominator called her the heart and soul of her program. What a compliment! Her genuine warmth, kindness, and humor forms connections with clients and staff alike. Courtney assists clients with errands, like grocery shopping and going to the pharmacy, and when they return, they cook a communal meal from scratch. The residents think her cooking is delicious!

Courtney is also smart, thoughtful, and experienced. She is always ready to offer insight and support, and quick to volunteer for extra hours when the team needs it.

Courtney makes a difference in the lives of those we serve every single day, and we couldn't be more thankful! Thank you for all you do, Courtney!

10/21/2026

🌟 We are finally highlighting the Starfish winners from our annual Staff Picnic! 🌟 Each year, staff members nominate other staff members for the Starfish Awards. Nominations often highlight staff who: go above and beyond in their role, demonstrate exceptional dedication to our mission, show leadership and innovation, positively impact coworkers, clients, or the agency, and serve as a role model in our work.

🌟 Shannon Christensen, Program Manager: Shannon was nominated twice for being someone colleagues can always count on. She was recognized for her organization, dedication, and willingness to go the extra mile, whether that meant helping a teammate, keeping everyone on track, or making sure clients received the care and respect they deserved. Her compassion, reliability, and commitment to supporting both staff and clients make her such a valued member of the Shalom House team.

🌟 Liz Riddell, Intake Coordinator: Liz was nominated for her incredible knowledge, patience, and support she has shared with coworkers throughout her many years at Shalom House. She is always willing to answer questions, help others navigate complicated processes, and share her expertise. Her dedication goes beyond supporting her colleagues, as she cares deeply about helping clients find housing and works tirelessly to make those opportunities possible. Her compassion, collaboration, and years of commitment make Liz a very special part of Shalom House!

Stay tuned for more Starfish Winners this week!

10/17/2026

We've been keeping a secret... Back in the spring our friends at Renewal by Andersen reached out to let us know that we had been nominated to receive BRAND NEW WINDOWS at one of our properties for their annual Window of Giving. This was a wonderful surprise!

We have been working behind the scenes the past few months to determine which property was most in need, ironing out logistics, timing, making sure our residents had some fun activities for the day while the crew was working, and today was the day!

30+ volunteers, five staff members, and Portland Hearts of Pine Moxie the Moose came together to replace the windows at our Congress West property. It was an incredible day! We had a blast connecting with their team and just relishing in the huge impact this will have on our residents heading into winter...

To say we are speechless and so full of love and community after today is an understatement. Stay tuned for a video shot by Andersen, pictures, and more stories to come. We are in awe. 💚

10/16/2026

Our Annual Cans for a Cure contribution! Did you know we save all of our cans and bottles throughout the year just to be a part of this wonderful day?

Thank you to our friends at 94.9 WHOM for doing the leg work and getting these cans processed for the Maine Cancer Foundation. This is community!

10/15/2026

Yesterday, HR Generalist, Annie, and Lead Clinician, Jamie, visited the University of New England for their Industry Exploration Day! They chatted with current students about Shalom House and our work in supporting people living with mental illness. It was a wonderful day connecting with the students!

We are hiring for many roles. If you or someone you know is looking for a career dedicated to caring for some of the most vulnerable people in our community, check out our website!

Careers: https://www.shalomhouseinc.org/who-we-are/careers/

10/14/2026

We are thrilled to now be a member of the Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services, Maine and to begin collaborating with other statewide providers to increase access to behavioral health services and better our communities!

Please join us in welcoming Shalom House, Inc. to the Alliance! 🎉

Shalom House offers hope for adults living with mental illness by providing an array of community-based mental health services and a choice of quality housing that help people lead stable and fulfilling lives in the community.

We’re excited to have them as part of our statewide provider community and look forward to the work ahead together to improve behavioral health access in Maine!

10/13/2026

Thank you to our friends at WMTW-TV for showcasing our work during Mental Illness Awareness Week. We continue to be astonished by the outpouring of support from our supporters and community partners. 💚

The 250 yellow tulip bulbs were planted by staff and supporters during mental illness awareness week. FULL STORY ⬇️

10/08/2026

In honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week, our staff, board members, and community partners gathered together at our Blanchard House and Woodford House to plant tulip gardens. 🌷

A group of 35 of us planted a yellow tulip garden at Blanchard, as a symbol of hope, healing, and a better tomorrow. This was done in collaboration with our friends at the The Yellow Tulip Project who help plant Hope Gardens across the country as a community-wide effort to reduce stigma around mental illness. Keep an eye out on WMTW-TV for coverage on this event!

Then, we went over to our Woodford House. At Woodford, staff privately planted a rainbow tulip garden in honor of our friend and colleague, Marlene. The sun came out and we took a moment to place each tulip in the bed. 🌷 💚