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 February of 2024.
What do you like best about your role? The thing I like best is the creativity I am allowed to utilize when preparing meals and menu planning.
What are the biggest challenges you face in that role? Some of the biggest challenges I face include finding new recipes to try. That way, we do not serve the same meals every week. Another big challenge is that sometimes, making the meals doesn’t go as planned, but the important thing is to learn from the mistakes I made, adjust what I need to, and try again.
What is your favorite hobby or activity? I enjoy watching TV. Mostly I watch comedies and mysteries, but love watching cooking competition shows like Guy’s Grocery Games, Cutthroat Kitchen, and the original Iron Chef.
What’s something that you’ve always wanted to try or learn? Even though there is really no need to, for a long time I have wanted to learn to read and speak the Irish Language.
Anything else you want people to know? (professionally, personally, or other?) I started on this journey in the kitchen with no formal training or schooling for the Culinary Arts. It started while I was a guest here at the Hope House doing the dishes every meal for 3 months. A few of the supervisors that were here at the time recommended I fill in the paperwork to become a volunteer inside the kitchen. After 2 months of volunteering and moving to the Transitional Housing side, a cook position became available, and the Hope House Director at the time, took a chance and hired me. It is thanks to those supervisors and my current ones, that I am where I am now: a better place physically and mentally, and confident in my abilities as a chef.
Join our team!
Preble Street is committed to hiring individuals who want to make an impact in Maine through their diverse lived experience, education, and other learnings, are committed to providing low-barrier services directly to Mainers, and have a positive regard for individuals accessing services for homelessness and poverty.
From human resources to finance to casework to food programs, find the role that’s right for you!
Meet more Preble Street staff:
4 things to know about social work at Preble Street
1. It’s about relationships, not just services. Caseworkers don’t just help connect people to food and housing. They focus on building true human connections with the individuals they work with. Listening, treating each individual with dignity and respect, and getting to know someone’s story are all important parts of the work. At Preble Street, social workers see
Staff highlight: Tim Stokes – Housing problem-solving
Preble Street staff are #CompassionInAction, and we want you to get to know them! This month we’re introducing you to Tim Stokes, Case Worker, Rapid Re-Housing Program! How long have you worked at Preble Street? Since January 2025. What do you like best about your role? Everyone’s situation is different – but a stable housing arrangement often depends on many things coming together. I enjoy tracking down these things and connecting resources to help others regain a sense of autonomy.
Meet the Chefs
On a blustery Tuesday in March, Chefs Brian and Colin roll out fresh dough for 500 dinner rolls as Chef Romann chops vegetables for the stock he’s brewing in the 80-gallon steam kettle. These three are the head chefs at the Preble Street Food Security Hub, where they lead a team of staff and volunteers in creating, preparing, and packaging thousands of meals every day for people experiencing hunger and homelessness in Maine.