News

NEWS & UPDATES

Portland to start legal aid service for homeless

U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey, who launched the first Homeless Experience Legal Protection program in New Orleans, told a roomful of idealistic lawyers in Portland on Thursday that they cannot change the world. But they can use their skills to change a homeless person’s world, and the satisfaction that comes from that is priceless. Legal

Read More »

Maine Homeless Legal Clinic starts in Portland

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — When you think about how to end homelessness, finding a few good lawyers probably isn’t the first idea that comes to mind. But the lawyers, judges and advocates for the homeless behind the Maine Homeless Legal Clinic believe legal assistance may be all some clients need to get back on

Read More »

‘No one should pass away unrecognized'

Rebecca Dennison’s voice broke as she said her friend’s name, "Mary Lou." "Mary Lou passed away recently. I’m missing her so much," Dennison told the roughly 200 people gathered Friday night in Monument Square for Portland’s annual vigil to remember the homeless people who died during the year. "She was frail and sassy at the

Read More »

More snow and bitter cold, and it’s not over

Tuesday’s cold, and the forecast for more snow, sent social service outreach workers into the woods and alleys of Portland, looking to convince vulnerable people to seek shelter from the elements. Peggy Lynch, outreach coordinator for Preble Street, and Bill Burns, the coordinator of the social service agency’s adult day shelter, trudged through deep snow

Read More »

Protesters Rally in Portland to Oppose DHHS Move

For the second time this month, protestors gathered at state offices in downtown Portland to voice their opposition to the LePage administration’s plans to move DHHS offices to a site in South Portland. A couple of dozen advocates braved near-zero temperatures to make their point. Thomas Ptacek is with Homeless Voices for Justice, which organized

Read More »

Plan to move Maine DHHS office draws protests, possible lawsuit

Homeless advocates gathered Tuesday morning at the current DHHS building on Marginal Way in Portland to protest the state’s decision to move the agency’s Cumberland County offices to a proposed 82,600-square-foot building in South Portland near the Portland International Jetport. "A lot of people who access these services get here by foot," said Jim Devine,

Read More »

Sleeping out in bone-chilling cold: Maine's homeless struggle to cope

As Mainers get ready for another night of snow and freezing temperatures, there are some who are sleeping without a roof over their heads – people like 35-year old Matt Coffey. Coffey camps out in a wooded area somewhere in greater Portland – he doesn’t want to disclose the exact location for fear of being

Read More »

Homeless group protests DHHS office move

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Advocates for the poor and homeless continued their protest Tuesday against the plan to move the state’s DHHS office out of downtown Portland. Since the plan was announced last month, the city, Democratic legislators and low income groups have complained steadily that the move will hurt people who need DHHS

Read More »

Portland Ovations to Partner with Community for Maine's Food Insecurity Issues

The performing arts are the one of the most compelling ways to communicate stories of the human condition, whether through dance, music, acting, even puppetry. This April, Portland Ovations – the non-profit performing arts presenter – brings Who’s Hungry, a powerful and provocative play utilizing tabletop puppet-theater to SPACE Gallery. Who’s Hungry tells the story

Read More »

Maine homeless suffering, surviving

With temperatures plunging below zero early Tuesday morning, many of Portland’s homeless faced life-threatening cold. Preble Street, a private nonprofit social service agency, sends teams of outreach workers to campsites in the city each morning to offer extra blankets, flashlights and hand warmers, and to offer people help to find permanent housing. "When it’s cold,

Read More »

Homeless urged to shelters as Maine braces for snowstorm

With temperatures frigid and this season’s first major snowfall approaching, outreach teams in Portland urged the homeless Friday to come into emergency shelters. Weather that cold is particularly hard on the homeless, said John Bradley, associate director of the Preble Street social service agency in Portland. "We’ve been worrying about the weather for the last

Read More »