BANGOR – The past year has been the busiest yet in the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter’s 20 years of existence, shelter director Dennis Marble will tell the annual meeting of the shelter board this evening.

The annual meeting, which organizers are presenting as a celebration, is from 6 to 8 tonight at Hammond Street Congregational Church, where the shelter had its origins more than 20 years ago.

“It has been a great year for the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter. We have a lot to celebrate due to the kindness of the generous people in the Greater Bangor area. [Marble’s] report tells the story well,” said Walter Cupples, president of the shelter board.

Highlights of the report will show that in the past 10 years the shelter has gone from an emergency shelter where the average stay was about 11 days, to an average stay in the past year of about 27 days. Marble’s report will elaborate on why this has been the trend. Part of it has been the number of clients with mental illness, chronic addictive disorder or a dual diagnosis, Marble’s report will point out.

Part of Marble’s concern for the future is the ever-increasing budget, now approaching $500,000, for the facility. While government funding accounts for 28 percent of the costs, Medicaid some 6 percent, and general assistance from Bangor, Penobscot County and FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter program combine for $85,000 (16 percent), that still leaves half to be raised by private donors.

“Until we see significant and purposeful changes in public policy and evidence of appropriate government responsibility, we will continue to acknowledge that this shelter is in part an unfunded mandate placed on the consciences of people in Greater Bangor and beyond,” Marble’s report says.

His report is strong on praise for the support of the board and of volunteers and the community for giving the facility so much support to date.