An area social service hub that already offers a range of services to Eliot and Kittery will now be distributing town General Assistance funds in South Berwick and more generally supporting residents struggling to make ends meet.
Local residents facing skyrocketing housing costs as well as rising food and gas prices will find more options for support now that Mainspring is delivering General Assistance for the town, with a caseworker helping people who may need a variety of services.
Mainspring, based in Kittery, is also the only bidder on 9 Railroad Ave. in South Berwick, a property the Town is offering for sale for affordable housing, according to Jennifer Janelle, interim town manager, who said the project is on the to do list of new Town Planner Jeff Brubaker.
The organization hasn’t heard from the Town whether Mainspring’s proposal has been accepted, according to Emily Flinkstrom, co-director of Mainspring.
Mainspring proposed a mixed-use development of affordable residences, a food market, and offices for other services for area residents, Flinkstrom said.
“I envision a kind of mini Mainspring,” Flinkstrom said, noting that realizing this plan is years down the road and depends on raising funds to buy the property and cover environmental cleanup and construction costs.
The Mainspring collective, which opened its doors as a social service hub in early 2025, houses organizations that address food, housing, aging, veterans’ needs, legal aid, education, employment, substance abuse recovery, and health, according to its website.
For now, South Berwick residents will be assigned a case worker, Melissa Schott, to help individuals or families access a wide range of nonprofit and government programs that partner with the Mainspring collective.
“People will have more services at their fingertips,” said Janelle.
Schott will be available at the temporary town offices behind Town Hall the first Friday of every month from noon to 2 p.m. or by phone at other times.
The $19,000 contract with Mainspring is partially offset by $5,000 previously budgeted for town staff to do the work.
Mainspring will handle calls, applications and disbursements, but the Town will still be responsible for budgeting funds to help residents, as required of every town by state law, according to Janelle. This year the budget includes $31,500 for General Assistance.
South Berwick expects to get 70% reimbursement from the State for money spent on General Assistance, according to the fiscal year 2027 town budget.
Town officials visited Mainspring last fall and were impressed with the scope of services available under a single roof, according to Janelle.
Flinkstrom said the Mainspring staff is excited to add service to South Berwick residents alongside the towns of Kittery and Eliot.
“It’s a move in the right direction,” said Flinkstrom, who described Mainspring’s offer as part of an evolving conversation with multiple agencies on how best to meet people where they are.
In the long term, “getting people connected with the right services and back on track economically is a winner,” wrote Michael Sullivan, Eliot town manager, in response to questions from Janelle about Eliot’s experience with Mainspring.
Eliot has seen costs for General Assistance drop, Sullivan said in his letter included in the June 23 Town Council meeting packet. He indicated in the letter that Mainspring helped residents with “bigger” problems that kept them returning again and again for help when the Town was only equipped to provide a housing voucher or one-time fuel assistance.
