NEWS & UPDATES
Our View: Food banks’ rapid growth shows Maine falling short
… Charities rely on volunteer labor and a patchwork of organizations, each with its own rules and goals. Only the government is big enough to consistently penetrate every corner of the state and get food to the people who need it. And even if there were no gaps for people to fall through in the
Two people found in Portland homeless count
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Even with the milder winter we’ve had so far, the weather this time of year is dangerous for homeless people. In Portland, volunteers hit the streets for the annual Point-in-Time homeless survey. They found two people. Only people who can be identified count toward the official total. For example, volunteers
Annual survey shows Portland’s problem of homelessness by the numbers
… William Burney, director of the HUD field office in Maine, and Jon Bradley, associate director of Preble Street, an agency that serves homeless people, participated in Wednesday night’s survey. Despite an overall decline in homelessness, Portland officials have noted an increase in homeless people sleeping outside, even as encampments and overgrown areas around the
Number of homeless people sleeping on streets in Portland doubles
PORTLAND (WGME) — After noticing an alarming amount of people sleeping on the streets, officials with Preble Street say they jumped into action. Preble Street Executive Director Mark Swann says in October they noticed more people spending the night outside, so they decided to sit down and do a count. He says a handful of
Concern for Homeless Population as Temperatures Drop
As the temperature falls, the concern is growing for the homeless population in Portland, Maine. Mark Swann, Director of the Preble Street shelter, worries the number of people sleeping outside in the cold is growing. In October, Preble Street staff counted 88 people sleeping in camps or on the streets in Portland. Swann said that
It looks like there are more homeless veterans in Maine. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story
At first glance, statistics on the number of veterans in Maine who are homeless seem to point to a troubling trend. From 2008 to 2015, the number of homeless identified as veterans jumped 70 percent in Maine, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which annually organizes a census of the country’s
Holiday Giving at 84 Middle Street
PORTLAND, Maine — Despite the financial hardships that all Maine residents and Maine businesses face each and every winter, the professionals at the offices of 84 Middle Street still made it priority to help those in need during the cold months in our great state. In a clothing drive organized by independent business consultant Joshua
Want to end homelessness? Try giving the homeless a home
Portland had the dubious distinction in the days before Christmas of topping a list of U.S. cities “going above and beyond to push the most vulnerable Americans out of the public eye during the most compassionate time of the year.” The website U.S. Uncut singled out Maine’s largest city for destroying homeless encampments along Interstate
Portland Downtown raises $10,000 for local charities over the holiday season
PORTLAND, Maine — Two of Portland Downtown’s signature holiday events, Shop for a Cause Day and Merry Madness, have collectively raised $10,000 for Preble Street and the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund. Shop for a Cause Day, held November 28, encourages residents and visitors alike to shop local while giving back to the community. 40
Portland Homeless Person's Annual Memorial Vigil
People in Portland gathered Monday, December 21 to remember members of the city’s homeless community who died in 2015. Forty three people passed away his year: the highest number in the vigil’s 21-year history Please join us as we remember those who have died without a home and recommit ourselves to ending homelessness by watching
Bill Nemitz: Indifference over deaths of homeless unacceptable
There was a time when the whole community would have sat up and taken notice. Last Thursday, just as he was rolling out of bed, Mark Swann got a call from Preble Street, the social services agency in Portland over which he presides as executive director. The news was not good: A longtime Preble Street
Memorial vigil for homeless marks 43 deaths in Portland this year, a record
Volunteers read each of the 43 names aloud in front of the Christmas tree in Monument Square on Monday to remember the record number of homeless people who died in Portland this year. A candle was lit as each name was read … Read more.
