NEWS & UPDATES
Public hearing on proposal that some food stamp recipients work
STATEWIDE (WGME) — The Department of Health and Human Services moves forward with a proposed rule change, requiring some food stamp recipients to work for their benefits. Wednesday afternoon, the department held a public hearing, the one and only opportunity for Mainers to weigh in. About two dozen people signed up to speak, most of
Hearing Wednesday on changes to food stamp requirements
AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Department of Health and Human Services held a hearing on Wednesday on new food stamp requirements. Last month the state announced that it will require most able-bodied recipients to work, provide volunteer services or be involved in a specialized work training program in order to receive food stamps for longer
Advocates decry LePage rule change that could kick 12,000 off food stamps
AUGUSTA, Maine – A proposed rule change by Gov. Paul LePage that could see about 12,000 food stamp recipients lose eligibility for the program on Jan. 1 was decried by advocacy groups Tuesday during a public hearing held by the Department of Health and Human Services. Representatives from soup kitchens and food pantries, as well
Filling the void
Experts may say the economy is getting better in light of the bulls on Wall Street, lower unemployment figures and rising home prices, but for those stuck in a low-paying job, life is downright difficult. Trying to pay the bills on $8 or $9 an hour can be an exercise in frustration and anxiety. And
Rotarians practice "service above self" at Preble Street
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — You might notice the Rotary symbol that’s posted on several town signs, or maybe you’ve enjoyed the delicious food at a Rotary Fair booth. At it’s core though, the club is about a lot more than that and the members of the South Portland Cape Elizabeth Rotary are an
New Faces, Promotions and Awards
NEW FACESJaime McLeod joined Preble Street as a communications manager. McLeod, of Lewiston, has 15 years of journalism and public relations experience. Gregory Perchik also joined Preble Street as teen services coordinator. He brings nine years of social work and health care experience to his position. He was previously a clinical manager for the Boston
Former Teen Center client helps kids in need
… Carson was homeless by the time she was 12 and began staying at Preble Street’s Lighthouse Teen Shelter in Portland. Even during that time, however, the guardian’s encouragement was enough to keep Carson from following others at the shelter who spent days aimlessly. Carson knew if she was going to be a lawyer she
Former homeless teen gives back
… By the time she was 13, Carson was living at the Lighthouse Teen Shelter in Portland, eating her meals at the Preble Street soup kitchen and then hurrying off to King Middle School "because my mother had dropped out and I wasn’t going to be like her." Then things got better … Read more
Portland Time and Temperature sign works for city
… Take the postcard-perfect sunset that served as a backdrop for "EAT OTTO." The message connoted the five-year anniversary for Otto’s Pizza, which may have raised a few eyebrows considering Otto’s is a for-profit business and normally would be ineligible for sign status. But that changed via what Bergeron calls a "work-around": In exchange for
Panhandling on the Rise
The shrewdness of panhandling on a median strip at a busy intersection is that it places the panhandler on the driver’s side of vehicles when they stop at red lights. Cities all over the country have seen a rise in recent years in roadside panhandlers, and Maine cities are no exception. Motorists in Portland have
Society Notebook: Strength against hunger
A record-breaking 400 people enjoyed an afternoon and evening of fancy sips and bites at Taste of the Nation at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. The annual fundraiser for Share Our Strength, with tickets priced at $125 for general admission and $200 for VIP, including a cocktail reception, raised more than $200,000 toward the
Our View: Permanent housing best way to help homeless
Organizations that serve the homeless in Augusta, Portland and York County have all recently lost their longtime, transformational leaders. The changeovers come as Maine’s homeless population has seemed to shrink slightly from the record peaks of the last few years, but it remains regrettably high. These three organizations, and others like them across the state,
