Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center has taken over operation of the only family shelter in York County.

The nonprofit, which offers an overnight center for homeless Biddeford residents and other related services, will now run the family shelter in Sanford. Vassie Fowler, executive director of Seeds of Hope, said the program will be known as the Seeds of Hope Family Center.

The future of the family shelter was uncertain after the closure of York County Shelter Programs Inc., the nonprofit that previously operated the facility. The shelter serves about 16 people at a time.

Fowler said Seeds of Hope has been working for months to make the transition happen and made it official May 1. The missions of the two organizations were aligned and Fowler said the need for a family shelter in the county was evident.

“We saw the value in it. We did not want it to close,” she said.

York County Shelter Programs, which ran the county’s only adult homeless shelter, shut down last May. The board of directors said at the time that the closure was necessary because of “significant and growing financial limitations,” and called the decision gut-wrenching.

Some aspects of the program continued to operate, including a food pantry that served 6,000 people per month. The county pulled $25,000 from a contingency fund to run the pantry through the end of 2025. Commissioners voted to set aside another $100,000 to fully take over pantry operations and hire staff.

The family shelter stayed open with an interim director. Late last year, the city of Sanford secured funding to turn it into a warming shelter for the families it served, allowing it to operate through the winter.

Barbara Crider, the interim director, said in January that once the warming center money was gone, there was no other funding stream lined up to keep the shelter open.

“We need a community group to come together to keep it open,” Crider said in January.

Crider did not respond to requests for comment on the Seeds of Hope Family Center.

During the past month, Seeds of Hope raised $110,000 through grants to put toward the family center’s $250,000 annual budget, Fowler said.

“Because it’s families, because it’s children, organizations, foundations and businesses are really excited to jump in and keep this resource open,” she said.

Seeds of Hope is currently leasing the family center building, but will eventually own it, Fowler said. Four staff members from the family shelter have stayed on to continue their work as Seeds of Hope employees.

The Seeds of Hope announcement posted on Facebook last week highlighted the years York County Shelter Programs staff spent running the family shelter.

“Their leadership, staff and volunteers have provided safety, stability and hope to countless families. The impact of their work is deeply felt throughout our community, and we honor the foundation they built,” the announcement said.

“Together, we remain committed to ensuring that every family in York County has access to a safe place to land and the support needed to move toward stability and hope,” the announcement continued.

Shelters across Maine have struggled with funding in recent years as demand has increased and state funding remained low. Shelter operators have said that several rural shelters were on the brink of closure and would be forced to shut down without additional support.

Last week, Gov. Janet Mills signed a law that increases shelter funding using revenue from the real estate transfer tax.