The only thing standing between 40 human beings and safety, food, hope, and professional social work services this winter and beyond is permission from the City of Portland to convert a Preble Street day shelter into a 24/7 Wellness Shelter.

Like the highly successful shelter we operated over the summer at the University of Southern Maine Sullivan Gym, the Preble Street Wellness Shelter will be fully staffed 24/7/365 by professional social workers and will help people get back on their feet and out of homelessness. Meals and other services will be provided on site. Each person will have their own private bed and will work with a caseworker toward housing and other individual goals.

Preble Street is on the agenda of the City of Portland Planning Board this Tuesday, December 8 for its conditional use application to turn the site of the Resource Center into a new, best practice 24/7 Wellness Shelter.

Approval from the Planning Board is the only difference between living outside or in dignified shelter for 40 of the most vulnerable people in our community.

Preble Street is not requesting any funds from the City. The building is owned by Preble Street, zoned to allow for emergency shelter, and has sheltered 75 people regularly for many years when Preble Street donated this facility to the City of Portland as its overflow space for the Oxford Street Shelter.

If you don’t want more people to endure sleeping outside this winter, email planningboard@portlandmaine.gov before December 8 and ask them to approve the Preble Street conditional use application to turn its facility at 5 Portland Street into a 24/7 Wellness Shelter.

Thank you for lending your voice to ensure more people have the resources they need to live a healthier, happier life.

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