Maine Church To Open Christmas Day For Anyone In Need
PORTLAND, Maine (CBS) -- A church in Portland, Maine will open its doors Christmas Day for anyone who needs to come in from the cold, including asylum seekers. The basement of Saint Luke's Cathedral will serve as a warm space for people to spend the day.
More than 100 volunteers signed up to help.
"Christmas Day, other places are closed," said Benjamin Shambaugh, the church's pastor. "The library is closed, stores are closed so where do people go? So we thought 'Well why don't they come here?'"
The Maine Rights Coalition will be providing asylum seekers with essentials like toothbrushes and toothpaste.
"To be able to give that on Christmas Day and to start this program--It's just a wonderful honoring of what Christmas is about," said Linda Carleton, the church's outreach committee chair.
