LEWISTON — With a leaky roof, building flooding and Director Lisa Rodrigues stepping down, SHAREcenter officials are unsure of its future at this time.

Rodrigues took to Facebook last week to inform people about the flooding that has cost the organization more than $200,000 in lost product, she said. After seven years, she is stepping down as the director because of health issues.

All items have to be in displays off the floor and covered with tarps because of the leaky roof and flooding, she said. Since last August the building has flooded three times, requiring staff and volunteers to throw away four dumpster loads worth of products. It is heartbreaking for her to see so much stuff thrown away, which was all donated, she said.

Brian Kirouac, who owns the property, said the flooding is likely caused by the major rainstorms that have occurred since he bought the building last July and he is still working to figure out the source of the excess runoff from those storms. It may take some time for him to figure out the flooding source. As for the roof, he plans to replace it in the next 60 days.

Part of the SHAREcenter’s mission is to divert excess items that might have otherwise been discarded to those who need it, Rodrigues said. Members of the SHAREcenter pay a membership fee to have access to the items inside, such as stationary, furniture and other items. Their members include schools, nonprofit organizations and some for-profit organizations.

Board Chairman Webber Cushing, who took the position about a year and a half ago, said he is unsure what board members are going to do about the situation. They have been in contact with the landlord to try to develop an action plan to address the flooding and leaking roof but they have not reached a conclusion yet.

Moving all of the products into a new building, essentially rebuilding what they have could be very time consuming, he said. With tight school budgets and rising costs in general, there is a need for the SHAREcenter. He hopes the landlord and board members can come to a conclusion that serves both parties.

Rodrigues’ “heart and soul” has been in the SHAREcenter and she has worked to help it become an incredible program, she said. She hopes the community and board will continue to grow it.

“We’re very thankful that we’ve been able to help Crestline divert tons of material out of the landfills that they would have been thrown away to,” she said.

The board of directors plans to meet Thursday to discuss the issues and the future of the SHARECenter.

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