NEWS & UPDATES
Preble Street election forum draws four Portland City Council candidates
PORTLAND – You don’t need a home to vote. That was the message at a candidates forum held Oct. 11 by Homeless Voices for Justice, the advocacy campaign affiliated with Preble Street Resource Center. Four of the seven candidates for City Council participated to answer questions from about two dozen people, including individuals who described
PowerPay Marks 10th Anniversary with “10 Days of Giving”
PORTLAND, MAINE – In recognition of its 10-year anniversary, local credit card processor PowerPay is launching "10 Days of Giving" (www.10daysofgiving.com)- a celebration that reflects the company’s corporate culture and commitment to giving, sustainability and community. During the first 10 days of October, PowerPay employees are volunteering time during their workdays and making donations of
Rep. Pingree to visit Portland soup kitchen, homeless shelter
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree is visiting a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Portland. The Democratic congresswoman will visit the Preble Street soup kitchen on Wednesday. Pingree’s office says that the congresswoman will talk to three residents at the Oxford Street Shelter who haven’t been able to move into permanent housing due to mandatory federal
Mainers to see cut in SNAP benefits
PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) – Mainers on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are about to take a big hit because the federal stimulus package is expiring. More than $30 million a month goes to Maine residents through SNAP, or what’s commonly known as food stamps, but there will be big cuts across the board starting Nov.
Federal cuts impact Portland homeless program
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – An initiative put together by the City of Portland’s task force on homelessness to get 40 chronic homeless people into permanent housing is about to feel the impact of Federal budget cuts. Some of the people who received Section 8 vouchers have been informed they may be pulled and funding
Proposed SNAP Cuts Worry Maine Recipients
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote today on a Republican proposal to slash $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. Critics say it will result in four million low-income seniors, veterans, children and their families losing food stamps benefits. The move comes at a time when Maine is
Compassion by design: Portland's coffee community, others come to Preble Street's aid
PORTLAND – When word got out a few weeks ago that Preble Street would have to temporarily close its soup kitchen, more than two dozen local businesses, churches, schools and other organizations rallied to help. Preble Street was being forced to shut the kitchen for four days to replace aging floors and make other renovations.
Businesses helping feed the homeless
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — More than two dozen businesses, churches and schools are answering the call to help feed the homeless while Portland’s largest soup kitchen is temporarily closed. Employees at Verrill Dana spent their lunch break making sandwiches — a lot of sandwiches. 24-hundred pieces of bread and 12-hundred slices of luncheon meat
Preble Street Resource Center undergoes renovations
Renovations are underway at the Preble Street Resource Center in Portland and the community is helping out. Click here to see WMTW News 8’s report by Aly Myles.
Maine restaurants join Share Our Strength anti-hunger effort
September is Dine Out for No Kid Hungry month, and dozens of restaurants in Maine are participating in this national fundraising effort by Share Our Strength to help end childhood hunger. Here in Maine, one in five children is "food insecure," meaning they may not know where their next meal is coming from. Or, they
Unsung Heroes: The Sawyers of Cumberland, Preble Street Sunday stalwarts
CUMBERLAND – In January 2012, the four members of the Sawyer family made a collective New Year’s resolution that was not of the exercise more/eat better/lose weight variety. They decided to do something together on a regular basis as a family, to help others. So they contacted Preble Street in Portland and were soon put
Portland working hard to combat homelessness, but changes to MaineCare could make problem worse anyway
PORTLAND, Maine – The city has been touting its recent efforts to combat homelessness, but some say the problem remains serious and is about to get worse. In November, the City Council adopted the recommendations of a task force it appointed to come up with ideas for reducing and preventing homelessness. The recommendations included centralizing
