NEWS & UPDATES
Searching Under Bridges, Behind Dumpsters for Maine's Homeless
Trained volunteers joined social workers, homeless shelter staff and military veterans in the annual one-night survey of the state’s homeless population last night. The nationwide census is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address the needs of the homeless. It’s a need that’s growing statewide, and especially in Maine’s largest
Bitter cold creates busy homeless shelters
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — A week of bitter cold has led to busy homeless shelters, as staff in shelters across Portland open overflow spaces and break records for occupancy and meals served. Staff at both Preble Street and the Oxford Street Shelter said they will not be turning anyone away, but they do need
Decision to give, or not, can be deeply personal
As panhandlers become an increasingly common sight outside of downtown Portland, more Mainers are left with the sometimes difficult decision of what to do as they walk or drive by. Do you pass a dollar and hope it really helps? Decide instead to make a donation to a social services agency? Or maybe turn your
From Winter Break Springs Opportunities to Serve Common Good
Despite having had exposure to poor people in her home country of Nepal, Apekshya Prasai ’16 said she was stunned when she arrived at Bowdoin and witnessed the suffering of some of Maine’s homeless. Last fall, Prasai volunteered to do community service on her first-year orientation trip, and then she signed up to participate in
Maine social service agencies plead for blankets, clothing
PORTLAND – The weather turned dangerously cold Thursday, so cold that the Salvation Army opened a shelter, the governor declared a limited emergency to allow heating oil companies to make more deliveries, and Portland officials asked the public to donate blankets and clothing for the homeless. The city hit a low of 4 degrees below
Causes unite longtime OOB band
ORCHARD BEACH – An Old Orchard Beach-based band is celebrating its 20th anniversary together by raising money for a good cause. Members of Beyond Reason will perform at One Longfellow Square on Saturday, Jan. 19 in Portland, with proceeds being donated to the Preble Street Resource Center. This is far from the first time the
Bowdoin Alumni Help Create New Homeless Shelter for Teens
In the tradition of the common good so important to Bowdoin College, alumni from six decades gathered to celebrate the opening of the new Preble Street Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter on December 11, 2012. Preble Street is a nonprofit in Portland that offers services to the homeless, including drop-in centers, soup kitchens, a food pantry,
Baby boomers with no place to call home
Charles Jones sleeps every night in the Oxford Street Shelter’s "medical dorm," so called because the room is reserved for up to 16 men in poor health. He’s 55 years old, the average age of the men in the room. They’re allowed inside the shelter a half-hour early, so they can avoid the long lines
89-year-old appreciates shelter, but longs for own home
Viola Silver, who turns 90 in May, spent two weeks in December at Maine Medical Center being treated for pneumonia and a lung infection. When the hospital discharged her, she says, it paid a cab to take her home – to the Oxford Street Shelter. "You have to thank God you have a place to
Annual vigil marks heartbreaking year for Portland's homeless
PORTLAND – Friends and supporters of the city’s homeless population gathered on the longest night of the year last Friday to read, one by one, the first names and last initials of the 30 Portland-area homeless people who died this year. This was one of the hardest years on record for these people, according to
Is Portland ‘too attractive’ to homeless people?
PORTLAND, Maine – The homeless population in Portland is swelling, with nearly 25 percent more people seeking shelter this fall than even the historically high numbers seen a year ago. That increase and the expectation by Portland Department of Health and Human Services leaders that the numbers will continue to climb well into 2013 are
Homeless for the holidays
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — With record numbers of people seeking assistance from the food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in Maine, advocates for the homeless set out to dispel myths and misconceptions people have about homelessness. “One of the big ones, you know really is that people are choosing to be homeless,” explained Tom
