Volunteers Needed For Greater Bangor Area Street Pastors

A group that spends its Friday nights providing kindness to people in the Greater Bangor area is looking for volunteers.

I first became acquainted with the Street Pastors during a concert on the Bangor Waterfront. My husband and I had left the pavilion and gone across the street for a cup of coffee, which was our usual routine during downtown shows. We were sitting on the small wall in front of Dunkin', when a very nice man in a black jacket came and sat next to us, engaging us in conversation. We chatted about the music and how nice the weather was that night. And he asked how we were doing or if there was anything we needed.

At that point, he noticed that we were both wearing bracelets from the concert and had, indeed, been inside the pavilion, unlike many others sitting near us who were enjoying the show for free. He smiled, apologized, and wished us a nice night. It was then that I realized that we were surrounded by several other people in those jackets, chatting with the bystanders. They laughed and greeted many of these folks like they were old friends. And it became apparent that these 'street pastors' were checking in on the welfare of those in attendance. I was so impressed that, in this self-involved society, there is a group that cares and is doing something to help others.

The Greater Bangor Area Street Pastors go out every Friday night, onto the streets of Bangor, and look for people to help. They check on the area's homeless population to make sure they're safe, offer a helping hand to those who are using substances,  or a shoulder to anyone who's feeling alone and lost. Sometimes, they just hand out smiles and Tootsie Pops to brighten the lives of Bangor's night people. Super heroes in our midst.

A coalition of area churches help to keep the organization going, and you do need to be affiliated with one of those religious organizations to volunteer. Find more information about the group and how to become a volunteer on the organization's website or Facebook page.