Safe, dignified shelter is a human right, yet thousands of Mainers experience unsheltered homelessness on any given night. We need your voice or written statements on Wednesday, February 17 at 10am during a remote, public hearing on LD 211: An Act to Support Emergency Shelter Access for Persons Experiencing Homelessness. This bill seeks to provide … Read more
At a public hearing NEXT WEEK on Tuesday, January 5 the City of Portland Planning Board will vote on the Preble Street conditional use application to open a permanent, specialized 24/7 Wellness Shelter at 5 Portland Street. Thank you to everyone who made their voices heard at the Planning Board workshops in October and early December. This … Read more
Maine Public Preble Street Goes Virtual For Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil By NORA FLAHERTY Sixty-four people died in Portland while homeless in 2020. That’s according to the human services nonprofit Preble Street, which is holding its annual vigil virtually on Monday. Caitlin Corrigan, health services director at Preble Street, says the pandemic and recession have … Read more
On Monday, December 21 — the longest night of homelessness — we will be holding a virtual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil at preblestreet.org/vigil. We’ll share the names of the people we lost this year, a prayer from Grace Street Ministries, music from people experiencing homelessness, and more. The life expectancy of our friends who endure … Read more
Food insecurity is a growing national problem amid the pandemic. Pantries are stretched thin — and money is tight in many communities. Advocates from across the country are urging Congress to increase SNAP benefits. They all want the next pandemic relief bill to include a boost for the program – and they’re urging congress not … Read more
“There’s been a lot of social services throughout the state of Maine that have been working collaboratively, together, to really make a dent and helping people out of homelessness,” Preble Street Deputy Director Donna Yellen said. She says that despite the decrease in people experiencing homelessness, there is a lot of work that needs to … Read more
Dozens turned out last Friday to honor the 43 members of the homeless community who lost their lives in 2019. For the last 25 years, people have gathered in Portland for the Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil, an event to mourn and pay tribute to the lives lost and to reaffirm the need to help find … Read more
Tim Keefe found himself homeless in his tent in rural Maine. It was below freezing. He hadn’t had food in two days. “I’ve worked since I was 11. I’ve paid taxes my whole life. Now, they are denying me food stamps? I don’t understand this,” he said. Keefe is a veteran, father, and widower in … Read more
“Taking food away from someone doesn’t encourage them to look for work, it actually harms their efforts to get back on their feet.” – Heather Zimmerman, Preble Street Advocacy Director Thousands of Mainers could lose SNAP benefits next year, according to a new decision by the federal government. The Department of Agriculture made it mandatory … Read more
“We see this as a cruel punishment for people living in poverty.” — Meredith Cook, Preble Street Social Change Advocate The Trump administration is tightening work requirements for the federal food stamp program in a move that will slash benefits for hundreds of thousands of people. The rule will restrict states from exempting work-eligible adults … Read more
