Families eligible for one-time summer EBT benefit

During the school year, more than 20 million children in the U.S. rely on school lunches for daily meals. School breakfast and lunch programs are an important tool to address food insecurity among school age children in the U.S. However, when school is out of session, children can no longer access these daily meals, leading … Read more

Advocating for the safety of everyone

Early this morning, a woman was wounded by a gunshot on Portland Street, near several of the buildings where Preble Street staff work each day and clients receive services. Preble Street is horrified by this senseless act of gun violence and our thoughts are focused on the wellbeing of the victim of this shooting and … Read more

MaineHealth CONNECT Van started service on July 1

National data from Harvard Medical School show that mobile health clinics are money savers that connect people to preventative care and outpatient services. Across the country, mobile clinics have reduced emergency department visits, returned money to communities, and saved lives.  On July 1, MaineHealth launched their very own mobile health clinic, called the CONNECT Outreach Van. The CONNECT … Read more

Seasonal outreach ramps up for Anti-Trafficking Services

Preble Street’s Healing Center, located at 55 Portland Street, Portland, ME, is the only dedicated space in Maine for trafficking survivors. Preble Street has provided more than 500 people with anti-trafficking-related services, since ATS began over a decade ago. Human trafficking happens everywhere, including right here in Maine. Children and adults of all genders, ages, … Read more

Joe’s Place: bringing services for youth under one roof

“What I want you to know about Preble Street is that they have a lot of resources to help you, and they want to help you.” Youth currently being served by Preble Street Teen Services Providing 24-hour services, seven days a week, Preble Street Teen Services operates separate day and night shelters for homeless and runaway … Read more

Educating future doctors at the Learning Collaborative

“You can be the best doctor in the world… have a photographic memory and memorize every type of medication. But, if your patients aren’t getting their basic needs met outside of the clinical environment, if they don’t have housing or shelter, if they don’t have access to food, it’s really, really hard to treat them … Read more

What does Harm Reduction look like at Preble Street?

“I am a human being. Part of my job, part of being alive, is making sure others are, too.” Joe Kreisler, Preble Street Founder Every ten days, a client at one of Preble Street’s programs experiences an overdose. Preble Street staff respond to these overdoses, reversing as many as possible, saving lives, and compassionately utilizing … Read more

Vision for Food Security Hub becoming a reality

Food insecurity is a critical issue facing Maine. According to Feeding America, Maine has a higher-than-average food insecurity rate of 12.3%. The national average is 10.5%. One‐in-eight Maine people and one‐in‐five Maine children are hungry or at risk for hunger. Maine’s Roadmap to End Hunger initiative estimates the total number of people experiencing food insecurity … Read more

Preble Street Board Profile – Joe Ingream: Curbside Spring/Summer 2024

How did you first get involved with Preble Street? My first experience working with Preble Street was volunteering at their former soup kitchen in downtown Portland. I volunteered many times with my daughters while they were in middle school and high school. I also volunteered several times with colleagues prior to joining OneAmerica Financial. The … Read more

Letter from Swannie: Spring/Summer 2024

PHOTO: Partnership at work! Staff from Greater Portland Health, Maine Medical Center, and Preble Street recently celebrated the one year anniversary of recuperative care in Maine Anti-poverty work is far too important and complex to expect any one organization to be able to do it alone. Partnerships and collaboration are key. I was amazed when … Read more