OUR MISSION
The mission of Preble Street is to provide accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty, and to advocate for solutions to these problems.
Our Programs
From a nutritious meal to crisis intervention, from clean clothes to healthcare, from shelters to a permanent home, Preble Street programs not only meet urgent needs but also create solutions to homelessness and hunger.
Who We Serve
The people we meet come from every background. Some were born into abject poverty and abuse. Others were born into a loving and stable family, but life’s circumstances dictated a wildly unanticipated course.
OUR ANNUAL IMPACT
Preble Street is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that depends on the generosity of friends who lend their time and their resources. Every gift you make, every hour you spend, helps those most in need.
LATEST NEWS
Celebrating increased support for homeless youth!
We’re celebrating some good news this Youth Homelessness Awareness Month! Preble Street Teen Services was recently awarded a grant from the Family and Youth Service Bureau to fund a Maternity Group Home and Street Outreach Program. This 3-year grant allows us to expand our housing options to specifically serve pregnant and parenting youth and fulfills
Federal government decimates funding to housing programs
As we shared earlier this month, there will soon be more tents and encampments popping up throughout Maine. In a continuation of massive cuts to programs helping people living in poverty, the current Administration has announced a huge change to how it will fund housing and homeless services. This new approach will decimate permanent supportive
Staff highlight: Jacob Speakman – Creativity and confidence in the kitchen
Preble Street staff are #CompassionInAction, and we want you to get to know them! This month we’re introducing you to Jacob Speakman, Sous Chef at Preble Street Hope House Name, title, and program: Jacob Speakman, Sous Chef, Preble Street Hope House How long have you worked in your program? I started working in the Hope House Kitchen in
Expanding hope in Bangor
Exciting news: Renovations have begun at the Preble Street Hope House shelter in Bangor! Preble Street assumed operations of Hope House in February, keeping one of Maine’s largest shelters open and ensuring that 56 people continued to have a warm, safe place to sleep and access to meals, clothing, laundry, and support to help them
1,200 Mainers at risk of reentering homelessness
CALL TO ACTION Call and email Senators Collins and King, and Representatives Golden and Pingree as often as you can — every day — and implore them to demand that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revise their disastrous changes to federal homelessness and housing policy. If they do not, more than 1,200
Preble Street Statement on SNAP
Update: November 10, 2025 We’re thankful to announce that full SNAP benefits have been issued for 97% of Maine recipients! A small percentage of households, mostly those who applied for SNAP benefits after November 2, have received reduced benefit amounts for this month. Many thanks to all who advocated for this, including Maine’s Governor, Attorney
FEATURED STORIES
Brian’s story
Brian Hester is a proud Marine Corps Veteran. If you ask, he’ll tell you he “loved every minute” of his two-and-a-half years of service with the Marines. But, like many Veterans in Maine and all over the U.S., Brian cycled in and out
Peter’s Story
Peter was homeless for eight months, sleeping on the street and in different shelters in Augusta and Lewiston. He’s an Air Force Veteran, originally from Madawaska, Maine, who lost housing when his landlord increased his rent with only a month’s notice. “I had
Ron’s Story
“I’ll say it 1000 times over, the VA saved my life,” shares Ron. Ron is a former U.S. Marine. He currently lives at a residential facility in Lewiston, Maine, operated by Veteran’s Inc., a nonprofit that provides support services to Veterans and Veteran families
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Every week 350 community volunteers lend a hand at Preble Street and almost 100% of the food and clothing we distribute is donated. We welcome — we depend on — your time, financial support, and in-kind donations. Volunteering at one meal a year, once in a while, or every week; donating work boots for someone trying to turn their life around, or organizing a fundraiser — every gift you give helps those most in need.