Local Spotlight: Delilah Poupore

Mention Heart of Biddeford and the name Delilah Poupore immediately comes to mind.

Poupore has been the executive director for 13 of the 20 years since the nonprofit was founded and she has become synonymous with growth and change in downtown Biddeford.

Poupore isn’t resting on her laurels, however, as there continue to be exciting possibilities in sight for HOB.

What’s your educational background?

I grew up in Duluth, Minn., and when I was 17 I went to Middlebury College in Vermont, where I got my undergraduate degree in philosophy. I had “weird fun studying Wittgenstein.” I went to Vermont because I was a cross-country ski racer. I have a master’s in education from the University of Vermont.

Where did you work before Heart of Biddeford?

I worked for housing and community development at UV, UNH and the University of California. I consulted with nonprofits and universities with a consulting group I started in California called The Dialogue Consultants. My husband and I moved from California to be close to his family in Maine and start a family.

What attracted you to the executive director’s position?

I loved how Heart of Biddeford was getting people together and gathering stories. When the position opened I was excited to be part of that. There was the idea out there that something could happen with downtown.

What was downtown like when you first came on board?

There were 27 vacancies just on Main Street. You could walk a whole block and not have one business. I remember a (foot) soak spa business when I started and it left soon after I came. The owners checked foot traffic and there was no one walking in downtown. Fortunately, a couple of key businesses had stuck it out over the long haul, like New Morning, Reilly’s, and Pizza by Alex.

What is Heart of Biddeford’s mission and main focus?

The mission statement is “Powered by the strength of community involvement.” The idea is, we get people together to revitalize the center of the town; if you revitalize your historical district it positively affects the community.

HOB focuses on helping nonprofits as well. How many volunteers do you have and what do they do?

There’s tons of volunteers. In 2023, 35 volunteers helped with 600 middle-schoolers for a day of service. And 700 students from the University of New England packed meals for distribution in one of the mill buildings. Groups do park cleanups, stock the food pantry and organize costumes for City Theatre. There’s lots of opportunities to be involved with the community.

How has HOB changed in the last 20 years?

At first it was small, with one staffer, (executive director) Rachel Weyand. It was more like ‘Let’s form a committee,’ not ‘let’s do 30 events.’ Now there’s two full-time staffers, me and Assistant Director Abby Leibowitz, the part-time officer manager Laura Lyman and an Americorps volunteer every year.

(HOB) was really controversial – people thought it (downtown) could never come back. Now it’s kind of the opposite: there’s so much going on.

Where do you see Heart of Biddeford in 10 years?

We work all the time to improve HOB’s ability to make Biddeford a good place for everyone. The community, boards and programs reflect even more diversity … to really reflect the needs of the whole community.

Anything new in the pipeline?

We’re applying with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and UNE (the University of New England) for a grant of up to $20 million for all kinds of climate strategies to help Biddeford. It will be submitted within the next month and we’ll find out in a half year.

What would the grant be used for?

Vouchers to get free or low-cost e-bikes – 20% of people in downtown don’t have reliable transportation. There could also be a car-share program and all kinds of efficiencies like solar and heat pumps.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing $20 million grant applications?

My family (which includes her husband and their teen) really likes to paddle the Saco. I also sing and play guitar, although I don’t do that was much as I used to. I love all our parks and the Riverwalk. Going out to eat and shopping.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

Taking a situation that people feel can’t be fixed … and getting people around the table to figure it out together. And at 9:30 p.m. at River Jam, the people watching fireworks and loving their town.

Ann Fisher is a freelance journalist based in Saco. She can be reached at 432-7483.