The Task Force to End Student Hunger unveiled an ambitious five-year plan to end childhood hunger in Maine through activating public-private partnerships and capturing nearly $50 million in unused federal funding already earmarked for Maine nutrition programs. "We all are letting Maine’s children down. Today, in all sixteen counties, in every school district across our … Read more
AUGUSTA – Following months and months of research, the end student hunger task force revealed its report on how lawmakers and those in the community plan to tackle this growing issue in the state of Maine. The state of Maine ranks first in New England in terms of food insecurity and lawmakers want to make … Read more
Fifteen organizations have received a total of $902,910 from the Maine Health Access Foundation in an effort to help Mainers enroll on the federal health insurance exchange. The foundation announced the grant on Tuesday, ahead of the Affordable Care Act’s Feb. 15 deadline for health insurance enrollment in 2015. "Since the [ACA] became law in … Read more
I can still remember my first night at the Oxford Street Shelter. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I would be spending the next 15 months homeless in Portland, sleeping at Oxford Street and Florence House, and camping out in the woods. There were times when so many people were staying at the … Read more
… Mark Swann, executive director of the Preble Street Resource Center in Portland, said he’s glad to see the bus routes improved but said the new location will still be a challenge for many and he’s "still disappointed (the move) happened in the first place." "Our whole philosophy is making things as accessible as possible," … Read more
The many people gathering here tonight are remembering more than 30 homeless people who died this year. That is the most that has ever been included in the ceremony that began 20 years ago. Hundreds of participants marched from Preble Street to Monument Square in honor of those who died. They are remembering 35 homers … Read more
It’s hard to be homeless. Imagine having to carry everything you owned everywhere you went. Imagine sleeping on a foam mat on a hard floor in a room full of strangers, or in a chair when the shelter is full, or in a tent when the wind is howling. Imagine going without checkups and examinations, … Read more
… Donna Yellen, a social worker and chief program officer at the Preble Street Resource Center, said the result has been frustration and demoralization for people who believed that a voucher was a path to a better life. Yellen said a few recent trends in the market have resulted in fewer available full-time rental units … Read more
About 200 people on Monday night marched along Preble Street to Monument Square, where they lit candles in memory of the 35 homeless persons who died this year in Portland. Donna Yellen, chief program officer at Preble Street, a Portland-based soup kitchen and resource center for homeless people, told the crowd that the number of … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine-As the media compile their retrospectives of the notable events and people of 2014, homeless advocates in Portland and Lewiston are remembering those died. "It’s so sad to look at the list this year, and some of these people we’ve known for a long, long time." says Mark Swann, Executive Director of Preble Street … Read more
