NEWS & UPDATES
New teen shelter to bring more kids in from the cold
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Young people in Portland with no place to stay have a new shelter to turn to. The Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter has twenty-four beds, eight more than the current Lighthouse Shelter. It was also designed to be a shelter, so the teens will have more personal space, with areas to
Portland to Open New Shelter for Homeless Teens
As a midcoast Maine homeless shelter closes, another one further south prepares to open its doors. Next month the Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter opens in Portland. The 24-bed shelter, run by the Preble Street Resource Center, is the culmination of a $4.5 million fundraising campaign. The Kreisler shelter replaces the existing Lighthouse Teen Shelter, which
Bowl season
Members of the alternative education class at Scarborough High School created bowls to raise funding for the Preble Street Resource Center in Portland. The class, front from left, includes Bryanna Hanscom, Megan McKenney, Celenia Benner, Jade Pawlowski, Janelle Marena and Sarah Kappelman. Back row: Jacob Young, Joey Sprague, Jon Prescott and Audrey Kyte. A lunch
What Does It Mean to be Poor?
We continue our "What Does It Mean" series with a look at What Does It Mean To Be Poor? Host Keith Shortall was joined by: Bill Burns, Adult Day Shelter Services Coordinator – Preble Street Dee Clarke, Advocate with Homeless Voices for Justice – Preble Street
New Portland teen shelter 'so much better'
PORTLAND – Crystal Swain immediately noticed the new mattresses at Preble Street Resource Center’s Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter. “These beds are so much better,” the 19-year-old exclaimed as she sat down for an interview Monday. The $3 million shelter at 38 Preble St. – with its 24 new beds – is set to open in
Portland teen shelter a testament to 'average' Joe
Some frigid night this winter, it will happen. One of the two dozen homeless kids at the Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter will look out at the ice, the snow, the anything-but-friendly darkness and ask, "Who was Joe Kreisler?" "He was just a guy, really," replied David Kreisler, Joe’s son, this week as workers put the
Dining and decorating at Preble Street
Holiday parties are all about food, music and gifts, and for many of us who are guilty of taking our good fortune for granted, not always in that order. They’re about getting together with like-minded people and celebrating in style. They’re about appreciating what we’ve been able to give, and about what’s being given to
Task force report on homelessness advances in Portland
PORTLAND – After advocates created a mock shelter in front of City Hall and a crowd packed the balcony of its chambers, the City Council voted unanimously Monday night to accept task force recommendations for reducing homelessness. For two hours, the council heard public testimony on the sweeping plan. More than 30 city residents, business
Dyer Elementary School helps feed the hungry
Students at Dyer Elementary School in South Portland are helping to feed needy families at the Preble Street Resource Center this holiday season by "stuffing the bus." Students have dropped off nonperishable food donations for the last few weeks into a box shaped like a school bus located in the lobby of the school. Big
Scarborough girls in the chocolate business donating profits
SCARBOROUGH – Two Scarborough girls are proving it’s never too soon to catch the entrepreneurial spirit, or the spirit of giving.Last year, Tansey Hughes, 10, and Naomi Sholl, 8, one-upped the usual kids’ lemonade stand by founding a business, Sweet Friends, to retail all-natural chocolates and candies. Now, they are dedicating net proceeds from an
A torrent of views on Portland homeless services
PORTLAND – An overflow crowd turned out for Monday night’s City Council meeting to weigh in on a task force report on homelessness that has sparked public debate over the city’s role in helping people in need. The council accepted the report after nearly two hours of public testimony and referred elements to its committees
Our View: City's homeless strategy off to strong start
If you watched Monday’s City Council meeting looking for a fight, you would have been disappointed. An expected showdown between downtown business owners and Portland’s homeless advocates turned out to be not much of a debate at all. Instead of tearing apart a report written by a citizen task force calling for more capacity and
