LEWISTON — Stacey and Terry Stibbards moved to Lewiston from California late last spring to begin a new chapter in their lives, one that did not involve being tied down by too much “stuff” or too many commitments.

The Stibbards met while volunteering at a soup kitchen in Orlando, Florida, where Terry worked at Walt Disney World for 18 years. His independent contracting brought them to Boston and then to Silicon Valley in California, where he worked at Cisco Systems for six years. That is where they decided they needed to make changes.

“We lived there for six years and then decided that the people who are most successful in the world say two things: That they regret not spending more time with their family and doing what they love,” Stacey Stibbards said. “We have three kids and we weren’t sure what we wanted to do, what we’d love to do, so we went on a journey starting in 2011 and sold or donated 90% of everything we owned.”

The Stibbards bought a 43-foot recreational vehicle and a small Fiat convertible, and went on the road for three years back at a time when Stacey said nobody was doing that and there were no blueprints on how you get rid of everything.

Terry had a few health issues over the years, including melanoma years ago and a stroke a few years ago. In September, what Terry thought was a pulled muscle exacerbated by evening walks turned out to be far worse: stage 4 cancer. It metastasized to his spine, fractured four of his vertebrae and quickly left him paralyzed.

Terry’s cancer and paralysis is not yet the new normal for the couple, but they have continued to make daily visits to Dufresne Plaza in Lewiston for the company and to a location nearby they call “Angel Alley” for the sunset.

“Our 2023 resolution is restarting a whole new chapter that started when we moved to Lewiston,” Terry said. “And we’re excited about restarting — or re-re-re-restarting — that chapter.”

Terry said the community and the friendliness of south-central Maine, specifically Lewiston and its youth and international cultures, is what attracted them here. He said he likes to think he and Stacey have brought some of Lewiston’s communities together — or even formed some that were not there before.

One of the first things Stacey did when they moved to Lewiston was buy a broom and dustpan to occasionally use at Dufresne Plaza, Terry said.

“I think our friends that see us down here sometimes have started cleaning up as well,” he said, “so everybody’s taking better care of the park. That’s just my impression. We’ve adopted a pride of living here.”

The Stibbards have connected with some of Lewiston’s homeless population by way of afternoon strolls, hanging out in Dufresne Plaza and on smoking breaks.

“I call it ‘Stacey’s Cigarette Ministry,’” Terry said. “We never have money, but we always have cigarettes. It’s a universal commodity like cash-money.”

They said they have gotten to know people well enough to sometimes bring a favorite snack or drink. When the Sun Journal caught up with the Stibbards, they were on their way to search out a homeless friend, Christopher, who likes Coca-Cola and Snickers bars. Stacey said they had not seen him for a couple days and wanted to try finding him.

While on their journey down Lisbon Street, they bumped into an acquaintance named Curt. Stacey offered him an extra Coca-Cola she had brought, and he and Terry chatted.

The Stibbards found Christopher further down Lisbon Street and he joined them on their way to Angel Alley to catch the sunset.

Stacey said she and Terry love talking to people so they can learn what they can do to help and what the needs are among Lewiston’s homeless.

“We want to try and (create) awareness on the little things we can all do to make things better for our neighbors who are still out on the street,” Stacey said, adding that one of the most important things to think about this time of year is the weather.

Homeless people without any way to connect to the internet or watch the news have no way of knowing what kind of weather is headed their way. Stacey said she tries to serve as their “weather girl.”

“Last week’s rain was so deceptive because it was so pretty that day and then it poured down rain,” she said. “If they got wet, it was over. That 18 degrees and soaking wet clothes? So we were running around telling everybody they need to find a place to go. Start making plans now because you have less than 24 hours to do it. They had no idea.”

Homeless people who do not have a phone — or an address — also have no way of finding a job, Stacey said. Even when they do have a phone, they often have no way of charging them, so the Stibbards put the word out to friends and family about this issue, and were able to hook some of them up with portable chargers.

A couple of people got back to them and said having the extra juice for their phone was what made a difference for their employment, Stacey said, “and they actually found a place to live.”

“There are just so many things we’ve learned about the community that people could really use help with,” Terry said, “and people are grateful.”

Added Stacey, “And they’re not invisible.”

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