OUR MISSION
The mission of Preble Street is to provide accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty, and to advocate for solutions to these problems.
Our Programs
From a nutritious meal to crisis intervention, from clean clothes to healthcare, from shelters to a permanent home, Preble Street programs not only meet urgent needs but also create solutions to homelessness and hunger.
Who We Serve
The people we meet come from every background. Some were born into abject poverty and abuse. Others were born into a loving and stable family, but life’s circumstances dictated a wildly unanticipated course.
OUR ANNUAL IMPACT
Preble Street is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that depends on the generosity of friends who lend their time and their resources. Every gift you make, every hour you spend, helps those most in need.
LATEST NEWS
Five Years Later: How Preble Street’s Response to COVID-19 Shaped Its Future
During our 50 years in operation, Preble Street has had to adapt to changing needs and a shifting landscape many times. Never was this truer than in the days, months, and years that followed March 16, 2020. Five years ago this month, while the world was urged to stay home, a question loomed over staff
Food Is a Human Right: Protecting Access to Nutrition in Maine
In honor of National Nutrition Month, we take a look at the emergency food system in Maine. Food pantries and anti-hunger non-profits like Preble Street play an important role in ensuring people experiencing food insecurity have consistent access to healthy and nutritious food. Since opening in 1975, Preble Street has worked to ensure that everyone
50 years of Compassion in Action – 20 years of 24/7 supportive housing
“I feel like I’ve got a new lease on life. I can now heal. I can stretch out these last years a bit,spend time with my mother and my daughter.” – Logan Place Tenant 20 years ago, on March 24, 2005, Preble Street and Avesta Housing opened Logan Place, the first permanent supportive housing program
TAKE ACTION TODAY: Help keep Maine’s emergency shelters open and accessible
Maine’s 41 emergency shelters are at capacity almost every night and still struggling to meet the growing need with current state funding levels. According to a recent study by MaineHousing, it costs an average of $102 a night to operate a shelter bed in Maine (including administration, staff, and support services). Currently, emergency shelters only receive $7
Compassion Starts Here: An Event to Inspire Action
Chris Costa of News Center Maine joins us in conversation with our partners: Equality Community Center Greater Portland Health Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project Maine Needs Wednesday, April 9, 20255:00 – 7:30 pm Maine Studio Works, 170 Anderson Street, Portland, ME 04101 Get Directions! RESERVE YOUR FREE TICKET!!! Have you been looking for ways to put
The power of advocacy
For 50 years, Preble Street has advocated for keeping people in Maine fed, sheltered, and housed. We are deeply committed to lifting up the voices of marginalized and underserved populations, bringing people together to focus on solutions, and ensuring that everyone in our state has food, clothing, and shelter. As a social work agency, we
FEATURED STORIES
Brian’s story
Brian Hester is a proud Marine Corps Veteran. If you ask, he’ll tell you he “loved every minute” of his two-and-a-half years of service with the Marines. But, like many Veterans in Maine and all over the U.S., Brian cycled in and out
Peter’s Story
Peter was homeless for eight months, sleeping on the street and in different shelters in Augusta and Lewiston. He’s an Air Force Veteran, originally from Madawaska, Maine, who lost housing when his landlord increased his rent with only a month’s notice. “I had
Ron’s Story
“I’ll say it 1000 times over, the VA saved my life,” shares Ron. Ron is a former U.S. Marine. He currently lives at a residential facility in Lewiston, Maine, operated by Veteran’s Inc., a nonprofit that provides support services to Veterans and Veteran families
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Every week 350 community volunteers lend a hand at Preble Street and almost 100% of the food and clothing we distribute is donated. We welcome — we depend on — your time, financial support, and in-kind donations. Volunteering at one meal a year, once in a while, or every week; donating work boots for someone trying to turn their life around, or organizing a fundraiser — every gift you give helps those most in need.
