Advocacy Programs

The shrewdness of panhandling on a median strip at a busy intersection is that it places the panhandler on the driver’s side of vehicles when they stop at red lights. Cities all over the country have seen a rise in recent years in roadside panhandlers, and Maine cities are no exception. Motorists in Portland have … Read more

Organizations that serve the homeless in Augusta, Portland and York County have all recently lost their longtime, transformational leaders. The changeovers come as Maine’s homeless population has seemed to shrink slightly from the record peaks of the last few years, but it remains regrettably high. These three organizations, and others like them across the state, … Read more

A red cooler sitting next to a new picnic table holds the lunches for anyone who drops by the old REAL School on High Street in Windham from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. This past Monday, six kids dropped in for a free, nutritious lunch and conversation about the neighborhood. Liza Dalfonso … Read more

AUGUSTA – Maine lawmakers, officials and advocates began to wrestle Monday with how to provide more students with access to free or affordably-priced meals, which they say is vital to helping low-income children succeed in school. More than 83,000 Maine students qualify for free-or-reduced-price meals, but the federally-funded programs are underutilized by both schools and … Read more

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — While many of us will be enjoying the extra hours of daylight on Saturday, thousands of homeless people around the state will be struggling just to get through the day. That’s the message members of Homeless Voices for Justice are sharing. They gathered in Tommy’s Park in Portland from sunrise … Read more

On Friday, June 20, from sunrise (4:59 a.m.) to sunset (8:26 p.m.), Preble Street Homeless Voices for Justice will sit out in Post Office Park to mark the seventh annual Longest Day of Homelessness Summer Solstice Vigil, the organization reported. Homeless Voices for Justice advocates will be joined by other organizations and community members, "sitting … Read more

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Advocates for the poor continue to protest the decision to move the state’s Department of Health and Human Services office out of downtown Portland. Senator Justin Alfond joined members of Homeless Voices For Justice outside of the DHHS offices in Portland Wednesday morning. The move would take the DHHS office … Read more

The governor’s recent report cards of Maine schools tell an important story, but not the one he is trying to tell. Rather than highlight what certain schools are doing well while offering constructive criticism to others, the grades show how closely educational outcomes are tied to economic circumstances. According to Maine Department of Education data, a staggeringly high … Read more

AUGUSTA, Maine – The federal government is asking Gov. Paul LePage’s administration to provide details on its efforts to pilot a new electronic benefits transfer card system that would include a recipient’s photo. The state uses EBT cards to dispense a variety of public assistance, including the largely federally funded food stamp or Supplemental Nutrition … Read more

PORTLAND — They call themselves “homeless voices for justice,” and they were out in force Wednesday in front of the DHHS offices in Portland. The group was protesting a plan to move the offices, and the services DHHS provides to South Portland. Homeless advocates say that will create a hardship for people already going through … Read more