The article:

The sun wasn’t even up as Matt Brown checked the inventory in the back of the Prius was packed.

“We have these, what we call, snack packs. We’ve got some small food items, but we also put notes in them. We’re trying to send folks the message that they do matter because that’s not the feeling they have when they’re out here. They don’t feel like they’re seen or heard or that they matter, so that’s probably the most important part of this," Matt Brown told WMTW.

Each Friday, Matt hits the road to visit homeless encampments. He tries to provide nourishment and compassion along the way.

His first stop: Deering Oaks Park to check on someone who spends the night under a tarp.

“Just our presence – compassionate presence – goes a really long way. So, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about," Brown said. “We’re losing so many people to fentanyl overdoses, and you name it. I work part-time at a funeral home. I have to pick people up who die of overdoses. The urgency is on my mind all the time. But I think what’s really killing people is despair, hopelessness, discouragement.”

His group visits the homeless encampments that are deep in the woods too.

He calls it the Hope Squad Maine. He’s even purchased an old ambulance that’s being retrofitted to make his mission easier.

“I had this concept of having an ambulance because of the way it sticks out, but also has room to actually talk to people. To be able to go around and connect with people," Brown said.

When he's not dropping off much-appreciated items, Brown is a peer support worker for the Spurwink Crisis Center. His job is to connect with people when they first come through the doors. One man recently came off the streets, freezing cold.

"I was talking to him about – can I get you a tent? Can I get you a sleeping bag? 'Nope.' Can I get you a sandwich? Can I get you a drink? He’s like, 'no.' And I said, 'What?' He said, 'to tell you the truth, just being in here and having a conversation, it’s reminded for a moment that I’m human, because I forget, and I matter to somebody,' – that’s why we’re doing it.”

If you’re wondering who his helper is? Brown's wife, Nancy Brown, is right by his side.

“I think he’s amazing. He’s got the biggest heart of anybody I know and he’s doing important work," Nancy Brown said.

He doesn’t have all the answers, but he has a lot of societal questions.

“We’ve got how many church buildings in this city that have heated buildings that are sitting there, and we have all these people out here that are freezing in doorways. How about opening up some churches, things like that. I think until, as community, we say this matters – it’s not going to change," Matt Brown said.

The Hope Squad Maine ambulance is about ready to hit the road soon. Matt Brown's co-worker, Jackie McCurry nominated him for this week’s Community Champion.