This summer, Emma Johnson ’14 received a Community Matters in Maine Summer Fellowship from Bowdoin to work for Preble Street, a Portland-based organization fighting hunger and homelessness. Executive Director Mark Swann, class of 1984, helped found Preble Street in the early 1990s, and this year was nominated for a Congressional Medal of Honor for his … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine — Teenagers arrive at Preble Street’s Teen Center or Lighthouse Shelter for a wide range of reasons. Abuse, sexual abuse, trouble with the law, family crises. But once they show up, none are turned away. “Anybody under 21 who walks through our doors can get their basic needs met,” said Chris Bicknell, director … Read more
PORTLAND — Mark Swann will know by Monday, March 12, if he will be honored by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for his work in 21 years at the helm of Preble Street. Nominated by U.S. representative Chellie Pingree for a prestigious national award called Citizen Service Before Self, Swann probably couldn’t have imagined … Read more
There are many myths and stereotypes about the "homeless". Myths and stereotypes come about due to misconceptions born of ignorance, overgeneralizations from a single experience, and poor access to the real facts. Since the homeless population is often called "the invisible population," it is understandable why these myths and stereotypes develop and why they persist. … Read more
PORTLAND – Hundreds of people gathered June 4 on Valley Street to celebrate the opening of Florence House, the city’s second "Housing First" project. Florence House is home to 25 formerly homeless women and provides a short-term place for up to 40 more women to transition into permanent housing or stay in an emergency shelter. … Read more
There are a lot of factors that work together to make someone chronically homeless. Someone may have a mental illness, a physical disability or addiction to alcohol or drugs. But the undeniable common factor is that they don’t have a home. For a group of women who have been long-term homeless residents of the city, … Read more
“Housing first,” a revolutionary concept for ending homelessness, offers safe, permanent housing to the chronically homeless as a first resort rather than a last-ditch effort, and then provides the services they need to treat mental illness, addictions and physical ailments. Logan Place, a collaboration between Avesta Housing and the social service agency Preble Street, is … Read more
Since its start as a small social work agency in Portland, Maine, Preble Street has been guided by its commitment to mission and empowering vulnerable Mainers. Earlier this year, this commitment led Preble Street to assume operations of Hope House, a 56-bed emergency low-barrier shelter in Bangor, after Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC) announced the shelter … Read more
Preble Street Hope House is one of only five privately operated adult low-barrier shelters in Maine and the only one north of Waterville. Hope House, located in Bangor, Maine, is the first 24/7, 365 day a year Preble Street program outside of Portland and joins Preble Street’s Veterans Housing and Anti-Trafficking Services in providing services … Read more
Hunger and homelessness have been on the rise in Maine post-pandemic, leaving thousands of fellow Mainers without enough food and without shelter or housing. Lack of available housing and shelter options leaves many experiencing homelessness with no choice other than to shelter outside. This leads to increased interactions with law enforcement and fewer connections to … Read more
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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.
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