“I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the Teen Center.” Tricia After the last Point in Time count in January 2022, there were 3455 people experiencing homelessness in Maine and approximately 30% of that population was under the age of 24. Homeless youth experience higher levels of human trafficking, interpersonal … Read more
Avesta Housing, the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in northern New England, and Preble Street, a nonprofit social work agency serving the most vulnerable people in Maine, have announced plans to provide Site-based Housing First permanent housing with on-site support services to chronically homeless people on the site of the former Oxford Street homeless shelter … Read more
Daniella’s relationship with Preble Street began when she was a teen in the 1990s. She donated food to the agency through her school and volunteered in the old Resource Center Soup Kitchen with her family. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be involved in social work. For her senior project in high … Read more
TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT SITE -BASED HOUSING FIRST IN MAINE BY CLICKING HERE. Michelle lost her home in a fire 10 years ago and ended up having to stay in shelters in Lewiston and Portland. After connecting with Preble Street, she became one of the first residents of Huston Commons, which opened in 2017 as … Read more
For anyone paying attention over these last few years, it’s become abundantly clear that emergency shelters for people experiencing homelessness are an important part of the public health infrastructure. Shelters didn’t close during the pandemic. Shelter staff and our partners in the healthcare industry did not work remotely. We stayed open, and, in many cases, … Read more
18-year-old Austin currently spends his nights at the Preble Street Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter or outside on the streets. “I was emancipated at 16 to get away from my family. I lived with friends for about a year and a half. When I turned 18, their parents were like ‘Ok, time to be an adult, … Read more
November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. Educate yourself and your community about the issue of youth homelessness and what we can do to end it in Maine! In 2022, at least 1,500 youth and young adults experienced the tragedy of homelessness in Maine; in fact, more than 30% of Maine’s homeless population is under the age … Read more
Over the last year, 111 survivors of human trafficking in Maine have worked with Preble Street Anti-Trafficking Services (ATS) to reclaim their lives on their own terms. Many of these individuals have received support at the Preble Street Healing Center, which marks its one-year anniversary in September. The Healing Center opened to expand the work … Read more
As we enter the new fiscal year on July 1 we are excited to welcome new Preble Street Board member, Lauren Gauthier! Lauren is the Infectious Disease Prevention Program Director at Maine Center for Disease Control and has a Master of Public Health. Our work is incredibly interconnected with Maine’s public health system and Lauren’s expertise … Read more
