NEWS & UPDATES
Preble Street COVID-19 Action Plan and Policy Recommendations
Preble Street is committed to the safety of clients, staff, and volunteers while providing essential emergency services to people in need. We are closely monitoring the situation and following protocols of local, state, and federal experts on the coronavirus (COVID-19). Our priority is to stay true to our mission, keep our essential programs open, and
Volunteer of the Month: Megan
Volunteering at Preble Street Food Programs involves a lot of scrubbing, chopping, and cooking, but the heart of the work reaches beyond the day to day of a kitchen. Volunteers bring kindness, insight, dedication, and compassion — and lots of puns and wit in the case of Volunteer of the Month Megan Ladd. “The conversation never fades when
For Chronically Homeless Mainers, Housing First Can Be A Lifesaving Solution
Housing First is exactly what it sounds like: the idea is that people do better when they have permanent housing — and then are more likely to access services like counseling and rehab. So Preble Street worked with the affordable housing developer Avesta and the Portland Housing Authority to create a Housing First building complex.
Survivor Rapid Rehousing Project Grant
For survivors of human trafficking, a key part of the journey to healing is safe and stable housing. Thanks to a $297K grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Preble Street Anti-Trafficking Services (ATS) will be able to provide this critical resource to even more survivors. The grant funds the new statewide Survivor Rapid Rehousing
Volunteer of the Month: Brett
Many residents at Glenwood Sober House volunteer at the weekly Preble Street food pantry, working as a team to move thousands of pounds of donated food into the dining room and help feed over 100 families each week. “We really couldn’t do pantry without them,” say Preble Street staff. “Part of their recovery journey is giving back to the community,
Federal report highlights Maine’s reduction of homelessness
“There’s been a lot of social services throughout the state of Maine that have been working collaboratively, together, to really make a dent and helping people out of homelessness,” Preble Street Deputy Director Donna Yellen said. She says that despite the decrease in people experiencing homelessness, there is a lot of work that needs to
Annual memorial vigil mourns deaths among homeless
Dozens turned out last Friday to honor the 43 members of the homeless community who lost their lives in 2019. For the last 25 years, people have gathered in Portland for the Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil, an event to mourn and pay tribute to the lives lost and to reaffirm the need to help find
Giving Voice: How to honor the memory of a homeless veteran
Along with the resources listed in this article, please visit LandlordsHelp.org to see how you can partner to give a veteran a home. *** The Brunswick community said goodbye to a dear friend last week. As most of you have already read, Russell Williams died alone under the Federal Street bridge in downtown Brunswick on
SNAP Restrictions Left This Maine Veteran Hungry for a Year
Tim Keefe found himself homeless in his tent in rural Maine. It was below freezing. He hadn’t had food in two days. “I’ve worked since I was 11. I’ve paid taxes my whole life. Now, they are denying me food stamps? I don’t understand this,” he said. Keefe is a veteran, father, and widower in
Some Mainers at risk of losing SNAP benefits
“Taking food away from someone doesn’t encourage them to look for work, it actually harms their efforts to get back on their feet.” – Heather Zimmerman, Preble Street Advocacy Director Thousands of Mainers could lose SNAP benefits next year, according to a new decision by the federal government. The Department of Agriculture made it mandatory
Trump administration tightens food stamp work requirements; hundreds of Mainers likely impacted
“We see this as a cruel punishment for people living in poverty.” — Meredith Cook, Preble Street Social Change Advocate The Trump administration is tightening work requirements for the federal food stamp program in a move that will slash benefits for hundreds of thousands of people. The rule will restrict states from exempting work-eligible adults
Stuff the Bus food drive is huge success
The 14th annual “Stuff the Bus” program was another huge success. Wednesday, volunteers unloaded buses stuffed with food items for the Preble Street Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry. It’s the largest food drive in Maine, and is put on by Bristol Seafood and radio station “Rewind 100.9.” Thanks to your generosity, several tons of food
