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

Going mobile and getting creative: Preble Street’s Street Outreach Collaborative

The Street Outreach Collaborative (SOC), Preble Street’s mobile outreach team, focuses primarily on people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, with the highest need. The SOC drives around Portland in a blue, Preble Street branded van, (you’ve probably seen it!) looking to meet basic needs and distribute nutritious meals to people. Basic needs are the foundation for a … Read more

Mental health and homelessness: get to know the facts

Although we don’t have a vaccine for mental health or substance use disorders, we do have practical and effective solutions. They are the effective and evidence-based practices we know work — access to treatment, harm reduction services, mental health support, peer support groups, and perhaps most importantly, educating our community to reduce stigma and promote … Read more

Teen Services opens Transitional Living Program in Biddeford

The sun is peaking through the clouds on an overcast March day, and boots can be heard squishing and squealing in the muddy ground. The Preble Street Teen Services team move furniture into the building that will become Preble Street’s new site-based Transitional Living Program (TLP) for youth in Biddeford. The staff smiles and laughs, as … Read more

Celebrating advocacy wins

Low-barrier shelters receive funding for the next three years… On April 22, 2024, Governor Janet Mills signed the supplemental budget into law, which includes three years of $2.5M in annual funding — a total of $7.5M — to directly support emergency low-barrier shelters. This funding will be incredibly impactful for Maine’s five privately operated, low-barrier … Read more

Carrying forward a legacy of social work

It is surprising to learn that early social workers helped secure many of the civil liberties and personal freedoms that we enjoy today. Indeed, professional social work has played a significant role in shaping the landscape of the modern the United States, with many early social workers becoming advocates for social justice and change. Social … Read more