Victoria and Carolyn helping out

The Bread Of Life Team are willing to tackle any task that will help someone in their success.

At Bread of Life we are not just a shelter from the elements, but a home where people feel safe and welcomed upon arrival. They receive a brand new bed-in-a-bag and a new pillow that they will take with them when they leave.

  • Providing over 100 housing units to people in our community.
  • Serving more than 120 meals in our soup kitchen daily.
  • Providing emergency shelter to families and veterans.
  • Providing outreach, hygiene kits, and referrals daily.

Bread of Life Shelter provides a structured program where people work with an onsite case manager throughout the week toward goals such as permanent housing, education and employment, all while addressing the underlying reasons for their homelessness. Case Managers work with people to become self-sufficient by connecting them with resources and support networks that provide new opportunities for success.

Founder

The ministry that sprang from a Christian bookstore in the 1970s, still embracing its original mission,
while dramatically expanding its services for the needy in the Capital region.

Carolyn Neighoff

It All Started With A Need

Carolyn Neighoff Meyer moved from Maryland to Augusta in 1970, as the young wife of the new pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on Eastern Avenue. Bread of Life was a natural solution to a painfully apparent need. The idea was sparked by one courageous visionary, fanned by thousands of volunteers over a generation, now an essential institution nurtured by a generous community.

In September 2022, Bread of Life had the opportunity to honor Carolyn Neighoff. Without Carolyn, Bread of Life would never have come to be. She has been an incredible blessing, not only to our organization and the people we serve, but to our entire community. She has dedicated most of her life serving others as a teacher, principal, coach, pastor, organization head, board member, and in countless other roles.

The event to honor Carolyn was also an opportunity to introduce a new day at Bread of Life, in addition to officially announcing Victoria Abbott as the new executive director. We look forward to many more years of success and helping the most vulnerable members of our community.

Leadership Team

Today the Bread of life shelter and it's various outreach programs like a soup kitchen and veterans home is run by an amazing leadership team. They are a team that is willing to tackle any task and see through the difficulties to ensure the betterment of the people they care for.

Victoria Abbott

Victoria Abbott - Executive Director

Victoria Abbott is the Executive Director at Bread of Life, a homeless outreach organization providing food and shelter through a soup kitchen, two homeless shelters - veterans and family, as well as over one-hundred housing units throughout the City of Augusta.

  • We are looking at the person,what they need, where they come from,
    and the next steps that will work best.

Victoria was born and raised in Augusta and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maine, and her Master’s in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern Maine. Victoria has worked in the field of non-profit management, marketing, development, special events and public relations for the past twenty years.

Community is very important to Victoria, she currently serves as President of the Board at the Augusta Downtown Alliance; and leader advisor at the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute. When Victoria isn’t working or volunteering, she can be found on a mountain, skiing or hiking, and enjoying all that Maine has to offer!

Laura Briggs

Laura Briggs - Director Of Operations

Laura Briggs is the Director of Operations at Bread of Life, a homeless outreach organization providing food and shelter through a soup kitchen, two homeless shelters - veterans and family, as well as over one-hundred housing units throughout the City of Augusta. Laura started at the organization in 2019 as the Shelter Manager and has worked her way to senior leadership.

  • Our goal is to meet people where they are, because success looks different for every person.

With a background in human resources and employee relations, Laura manages budgets, policy adherence, and staff development. Prior to joining Bread of Life, she held the role of Operations Lieutenant with the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office. Laura obtained her Associate in Mental Health from Kennebec Valley Community College.

Laura is deeply committed to her community, participating in several councils and boards, including NAMI and the Maine Department of Corrections advisory committee. In her free time, Laura enjoys outdoor activities such as kayaking, swimming and hiking.

Downtown Soup Kitchen

Together this amazing team is able to reach out and help the world around them.

Since 1984, Bread of Life has a lengthy history and proven longevity in the Augusta area. This speaks volumes to the services we provide in this community. Forty years ago, Bread of Life was a natural solution to a painfully apparent need. The idea was sparked by one courageous visionary, fanned by hundreds of volunteers over a generation, and is now an essential institution nurtured by a generous community. The services that Bread of Life provides to the people in our community are part of the holistic package starting with addressing food security, safe shelter, case management, and then transitioning onto permanent housing.

Bread of Life serves anywhere between 100-150 sit-down/take-home meals per weekday for breakfast and lunch. This ranges up to 26,000 to 39,000 meals per year. Our soup kitchen is a pillar of Bread of Life and a beacon of hope to those in need. All are welcome to a place where people are served a nutritious meal by compassionate volunteers in a safe environment.

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