NEWS & UPDATES
Maine groups get $902K to promote ACA market
Fifteen organizations have received a total of $902,910 from the Maine Health Access Foundation in an effort to help Mainers enroll on the federal health insurance exchange. The foundation announced the grant on Tuesday, ahead of the Affordable Care Act’s Feb. 15 deadline for health insurance enrollment in 2015. "Since the [ACA] became law in
Survey of Homeless People Set for End of January
BANGOR – Each year volunteers from around the state take part in an outreach event to survey the number of homeless in Maine. Several local agencies will brave the cold at the end of January in hopes of making a difference in the lives of others. Imagine sleeping in subzero temperatures. for some in the
Preble Street Named Top Charity in Maine
Preble Street, a Portland-based social service agency, announced it earned the highest score of any charity in Maine in a 2014 fiscal-year analysis performed by Charity Navigator, a national evaluator of charities. The agency recorded an overall average of 99.17 points out of 100 to rank among the highest-scored nonprofits in the country.
Letter to the editor: Stability of having a home allows focus on health
I can still remember my first night at the Oxford Street Shelter. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I would be spending the next 15 months homeless in Portland, sleeping at Oxford Street and Florence House, and camping out in the woods. There were times when so many people were staying at the
Maine Voices: Wealthy ‘angels’ needed to help end suffering in Portland
We are blessed at Preble Street with generous, loyal donors who, year after year, send us a check. Whether the donation is $50 or $500, we are inspired by their support. Some have been doing this for as long as we can remember. I’ve been sending "thank you" notes for over 20 years to people
Changes to two key METRO bus routes take effect next month
… Mark Swann, executive director of the Preble Street Resource Center in Portland, said he’s glad to see the bus routes improved but said the new location will still be a challenge for many and he’s "still disappointed (the move) happened in the first place." "Our whole philosophy is making things as accessible as possible,"
Homeless vigil in Portland
The many people gathering here tonight are remembering more than 30 homeless people who died this year. That is the most that has ever been included in the ceremony that began 20 years ago. Hundreds of participants marched from Preble Street to Monument Square in honor of those who died. They are remembering 35 homers
Our View: Too many are dying on streets of Portland
It’s hard to be homeless. Imagine having to carry everything you owned everywhere you went. Imagine sleeping on a foam mat on a hard floor in a room full of strangers, or in a chair when the shelter is full, or in a tent when the wind is howling. Imagine going without checkups and examinations,
Tight market slams door on rent-voucher holders in Portland
… Donna Yellen, a social worker and chief program officer at the Preble Street Resource Center, said the result has been frustration and demoralization for people who believed that a voucher was a path to a better life. Yellen said a few recent trends in the market have resulted in fewer available full-time rental units
Maine Observer: Sadness needn’t diminish joy of holidays
… Yesterday, I volunteered at the Preble Street soup kitchen for the first time. There, in the big gray building, amidst the homeless, was joy. Mary welcomed me with a "thank you hon" and put me to work. As I was setting salt and pepper shakers on the tables, an older man handed me a
Scouts fill stockings for homeless
For the past three years, Girl Scout Troop 1714, of Portland, has dedicated its community service outreach to providing a helping hand for homeless teenagers in the city – a topic that all of the Troop members are concerned about. Each year, the troop makes St. Valentines Day gifts, conducts clothing drives and donates "pocket
Portland vigil memorializes homeless who died this year
About 200 people on Monday night marched along Preble Street to Monument Square, where they lit candles in memory of the 35 homeless persons who died this year in Portland. Donna Yellen, chief program officer at Preble Street, a Portland-based soup kitchen and resource center for homeless people, told the crowd that the number of
