Advocacy Programs

Portland’s Homeless Persons Annual Memorial Vigil sponsored by Preble Street Resource Center, Mercy Hospital and the city of Portland will take place Christmas week. Monday, Dec. 22, is a time to remember the homeless who have died and to recommit to the task of ending homelessness, according to Preble Street. A candlelight procession will start … Read more

… Donna Yellen, chief program officer for Preble Street, said that since the federal government put the state on notice, there has been no evidence that the state has done anything to clarify its policy. "We are still hearing from people who are asking, ‘Do we have to have a photograph?’" Yellen said. "It’s still … Read more

PORTLAND – It took two votes, but city councilors on Monday approved a new Portland Public Library policy allowing security staff to give trespass orders to unruly patrons. The new policy adds three constable positions beginning Jan. 1, 2015, despite warnings from homeless advocates the policy will unfairly target some of the city’s most vulnerable … Read more

… Representatives of the Food and Nutrition Service – a division of the USDA – visited Maine the week of Aug. 18. During the visit, they met with state officials, SNAP recipients, retailers and advocacy groups in Portland, Ellsworth and Bangor. One of those meetings was held at the Preble Street Resource Center in Portland. … Read more

PORTLAND, Maine – For one final time, protestors picketed outside the Department of Health and Human Services building in Portland. They object to plans to move the facility to a new structure in South Portland. John Monahan, an advocate for the group Homeless Voices for Justice, says it’s still a bad idea, but given last … Read more

… Homeless advocates, however, argued that homeless people and minorities would become the targets. Jim Devine, an advocate for Homeless Voices for Justice, said the library is part of the "safety triangle," which also includes the Preble Street Resource Center and the Oxford Street Shelter. "Even if this policy change is not intended to target … Read more

PORTLAND (WGME) — The director of the Portland Public Library wants the city council to grant its security guards the power to ban people. Executive director Steve Podgajny says with at least 400,000 people coming in and out of the doors each year, issues pop up. If an issue escalates to a point where more … Read more

… Amy Gallant, advocacy coordinator at the nonprofit Preble Street, which provides services to the city’s homeless, said the constable request was "worrisome." She said police officers are better trained to handle potential trespassing cases, and they have oversight from Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck, whom Gallant praised for his work with the homeless population. … Read more

… A few weeks ago, I visited the Preble Street Resource Center, a homeless shelter in Portland, for breakfast and a forum held by Homeless Voices for Justice. When I got there, I met my breakfast buddy, Rebecca. She walked me around, introducing me to the people at the shelter, her friends and colleagues who … Read more