NEWS & UPDATES
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
Victims of Homelessness Remembered at Vigils
PORTLAND, Maine-As the media compile their retrospectives of the notable events and people of 2014, homeless advocates in Portland and Lewiston are remembering those died. "It’s so sad to look at the list this year, and some of these people we’ve known for a long, long time." says Mark Swann, Executive Director of Preble Street
Homeless memorial vigil planned for Portland, Lewiston
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) Vigils to raise awareness for the homeless in Maine are being held to honor more than 30 homeless people who have died this year. Portland’s annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil takes place Monday evening. It ends in Monument Square with the lighting of candles to honor those who have died. Mark
Homeless memorial vigil in Portland
PORTLAND (WGME) — The annual Homeless Person’s Memorial Vigil was held in Portland to honor more than 30 homeless people who died this year. Hundreds of people met at Preble Street and marched to Monument Square Monday night. Their names were read and a candle lit in their honor. Judy Newell shared her story of
6,500 Mainers to lose food stamps
AUGUSTA – More than 6,000 Maine residents will lose their food stamps benefits next month under newly enforced rules that require some recipients to have a job, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew said. Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration began in October to enforce a three-month limit on benefits for childless adults
Advocates for the Homeless March for Bus Passes
Advocates for the homeless in Portland, Maine, marched through the city today to plead for better access to public transportation. The annual event, organized by Homeless Voices for Justice, was created six years ago to highlight a particular challenge that impacts the city’s 3,000 homeless residents. Marching alongside a cutout of a cardboard bus, the
Advocates: Transportation Changes Hurting MaineCare Clients
PORTLAND, Maine – Advocates for Maine’s poor and homeless say changes to MaineCare are leaving many clients without reliable transportation, and that the results can be catastrophic for some. Until a few months ago, Maine Care provided clients with regular appointments with unlimited monthly bus passes; but now, the state contracts transportation to several companies
Heaping Helping
Volunteering is technically a selfish act. I jumped on the opportunity because I thought that by making others feel good, I would inherently feel good too. So, in a way, I initially decided to serve lunch at the Preble Street Resource Center soup kitchen, to selfishly address my own conscience. Either way, I definitely felt
Soup bowls highlight hunger awareness
Giving back to the community is an art form for students in Scarborough High School’s alternative education class. Since the beginning of September, Lisa Ruhman, the high school’s ceramics teacher, has been working with the students to create bowls and mugs to highlight hunger awareness. In total, between 80 and 100 bowls will be made.
Our Opinion: To do good, donors must do their homework
Nonprofit groups in Maine, like those around the country, have a high profile this time of year. Knowing what the holidays represent, members of the public dig into their pockets to give to organizations that help the less fortunate. And to ensure continued support for those who need it the most, it’s important for donors
