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Crowd at Portland vigil mourns loss of homeless residents

A crowd estimated at 200 people gathered in Monument Square on Wednesday evening to light candles and read the names of homeless residents who died this year. The event, held each year on the evening of the winter solstice, started in the courtyard of the Preble Street social service agency before the procession marched up

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A simple change could give Maine's hungry rural people more food

… Over the past year, Good Shepherd Food Bank and Preble Street have undertaken the first research effort of its kind to better understand trends of hunger and food pantry usage in Maine. The results from more than 2,000 surveys completed in 244 towns in every county show how much Mainers are depending on local

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Portland homeless shelters reach capacity because of bitter weather

… Donna Yellen, chief program officer for Preble Street, said the agency’s Joe Kreisler Teen Center reached capacity Wednesday night. The center has 24 beds. Yellen said the staff brought in cots to accommodate the overflow. Florence House on Valley Street is a 40-bed shelter for women. When it reaches capacity, women are sent to

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Maine Calling: Finding Solutions to Homelessness

Despite discouraging news headlines about homelessness, some innovative Maine organizations have had meaningful success in reducing homelessness and improving the lives of the homeless population. We’ll learn about these solutions and what it would take to expand them. Guests: Mark Swann, executive director of Preble Street in Portland Stephanie Primm, executive director of Hospitality House

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Positively Maine: Mark Swann

Tory Ryden created Positively Maine in response to the explosion of negative, troubling and worry-inducing news stories that infiltrate all air waves. The show is an hour-long and features no vitriolic arguments–rather, inspirational, informative stories that motivate and, the goal is, uplift. We feature individuals, groups and companies from every pocket of this great state

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Free meals for children

The Preble Street Maine Hunger Initiative (PSMHI) provides hunger relief to children during the summer at free summer meal sites positioned throughout Cumberland County. This year, Windham once again has a site of its own. Free lunch is served to children aged 5-18 from Monday through Friday, weather dependent, from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

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Student Fellow Focuses on the Social Side of Health

This summer a good number of students sought out health-related internships that took place outside the hospital or doctor’s clinic and instead were situated within the community. Several were supported financially with fellowships from Bowdoin. Below is a brief description of one student’s summer position, supported by a grant from Bowdoin Career Planning’s funded internship

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Pingree, Concannon visit 1 of nearly 400 summer meals sites in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Rep. Chellie Pingree joined a member of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture at one of Maine’s summer meals sites on Tuesday. The USDA funds nearly 400 sites throughout the state where Monday through Friday, kids can get a free meal. “The USDA, we support these meals, but it takes partnerships

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School increases breakfast participation rate 71%

NORWAY — Guy E. Rowe Elementary School was recently named a top-six finisher in the Full Plates Full Potential challenge. The school increased its breakfast participation rate by 71 percent, which is credited to the school’s recent switch to offering breakfast to all students in the classroom. The school served 708 additional breakfasts the week

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