NEWS & UPDATES
Dining cause: Maine Restaurant Week Leverages Non-Profit Causes with Private Money
Diners visiting dozens of eateries for "Maine Restaurant Week" over the next two weeks may not realize the meal deals served up by Portland-local restaurants are taking initiative from of the nation’s hottest marketing trends – "cause marketing." Broadly defined, "cause marketing" refers to a cooperative effort between for-profit and non-profit organizations for mutual benefit.
Homelessness in Maine has three root causes that must be addressed
No one chooses to be homeless. It’s a hard life, especially during a winter like this one. You wait in line for food, wait in line to use the bathroom, wait in line for a place to sleep. Homeless people get sick more often than the rest of the population, according to the U.S. Centers
Full Plates, Full Potential
"There are 87,000 children in Maine who may not know where their next meal is coming from," says John Woods. Woods, 49, is working to solve that problem-and he’s asking his friends to help. It is a rare person who leaves a conversation with Woods without an assigned task. This was the case when, on
Breakfast cook-off in South Portland
SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) — Over 200 people came out to do some taste testing in South Portland Friday morning for the annual breakfast cook-off. The breakfast competition featured restaurants from around Maine competing against each other for a good cause. All proceeds went to Preble Street. Entrees included chocolate and bacon stuffed waffles, creme brule
Portland leaders defend DHHS audit of homeless shelters
PORTLAND (WGME) — Portland democrats and city leaders are defending the use of homeless shelters for people who may have money in the bank. This comes after a report shows some people staying in the city’s overnight shelters have thousands of dollars in assets. But city leaders say the people in that report are mentally
Breakfast cookoff kicks off Maine Restaurant Week
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine -The annual Maine Restaurant Week kicked off Friday morning with the Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off. Area restaurants battled to see who has the best breakfast dish. All the proceeds from Friday’s event go to Preble Street’s food pantry and soup kitchen. “We don’t have the resources within Preble Street to have our own
Portland officials defend aid for homeless, vow to address concerns
… Mark Swann, executive director of the nonprofit Preble Street, which provides many services to Portland’s homeless community, said a recent survey of the shelter system’s 30 longest-term residents found that all 30 "had serious and persistent mental illness." Swann said shelters in Maine have become de facto mental health institutions and are "overflowing with
Homeless advocates, Portland city officials fight back
PORTLAND, Maine -Portland city leaders and advocates for the homeless are fighting back saying, "There’s another side of the story." On Friday, city leaders and homeless advocates told their side of the story after the LePage administration called the mayor and others irresponsible when it comes to doling out general assistance funds. This after a
Portland leaders respond to claims of mismanaging General Assistance funds
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – City and state leaders from Portland pushed back Friday against claims by the LePage Administration that the city is in violation of the General Assistance program. A state audit of the program found that some long time users of the city’s shelter had large sums of money in the bank
Our View: Homelessness not just Portland’s problem
…Consider this calculation: One night this winter, 282 people lined up at the Oxford Street Shelter in hopes of getting one of 142 thin, foam rubber mats to sleep on. Of the unlucky, 75 were able to sleep on the floor of the Preble Street soup kitchen. The rest spent the night sitting up in
A hot button 30 years in the making: Aid to Portland’s homeless
…"The state has not lived up to its responsibility to help people with severe mental illness," said Mark Swann, the executive director of Preble Street, a Portland nonprofit that provides assistance to the homeless. Some also point to the state’s successful efforts to trim the number of people who receive health coverage through MaineCare, the
Portland Officials Defend Handling of General Assistance Funds
PORTLAND, Maine – Elected officials and homeless advocates held a news conference in Portland this morning to defend the city’s administration of General Assistance funds. A recent state audit accused the city of mismanaging GA funds, after finding that more than a dozen residents at one of the city’s homeless shelters had more than $20,000