🔒Planned Lewiston family resource center gets $1M from local donor

Lewiston-based nonprofit Tree Street Youth has secured a $1 million gift from philanthropist Peter Geiger to support construction of the Canopy Center, a planned early childhood education and family resource center in Maine's second largest city. Geiger is vice chairman of Geiger, a family-owned promotional products distributor headquartered in Lewiston. The Canopy Center is being designed to support children up to age four by providing early childhood education along with opportunities for families to access resources, including parenting support, health and wellness programming, financial literacy classes and workforce development. The future space, to be located at 143 Howe St. in Lewiston, will feature classrooms, offices, meeting spaces, an indoor playground and a kitchen for classes on nutrition and cooking. Tree Street Youth offers a range of education, life skills and workforce training for youngsters ages 4 to 24 at locations across Lewiston. Executive Director Julia Sleeper said Geiger's gift marks a pivotal moment in the organization's efforts to bring the Canopy Center to life. “This commitment helps turn a vision into reality,” Sleeper said. “Peter's generosity allows us to move beyond the challenge of raising the funds needed to build the Canopy Center and focus on what comes next. “We can now dedicate more of our time and energy to developing the programs, staffing, and advancing the Sunward Legacy Fund, a long-term sustainability initiative designed to ensure the Canopy Center and Tree Street Youth's impact endure for generations.” The project also received $1 million in congressionally directed spending. Sleeper told Mainebiz the organization has raised or has committed grants and gifts of $3.75 million towards the project, and will continue to accept contributions over the next few months. Tree Street Youth is working with Harriman, a Portland-based architecture firm, to finalize the building’s design. Construction is projected to begin later this summer or early fall. “The Canopy Center represents an opportunity to invest in children and families during the critical years from birth through age four," Geiger said. "The earliest years of a child's life shape so much of what comes next, and this initiative will help ensure families have access to the support they need during that important time," he added. "That's the kind of investment that can have an impact for generations.” Tree Street Youth had annual revenue of more than $2.3 million in its most recent tax filing, according to the 2025 Mainebiz Giving Guide.