There is a lot to reflect on as we wind down Preble Street’s 50th anniversary year. A lot!
In February, Preble Street began operating our first 24/7 program outside of Portland when we stepped in to prevent the closure of Bangor’s Hope House Emergency Shelter. In June, we celebrated our anniversary with more than 800 partners, friends, volunteers, current and former staff, and community members and combined our voices to call for Justice for All. In August, we started construction on Joe’s Place, to bring the Teen Shelter and Center together under one roof. In October, we celebrated the grand opening of the Preble Street Food Security Hub in South Portland.
“I criticize by what I create,” is one of my favorite quotes widely attributed to Cicero, a Roman statesman. To me, it’s a call to action; a clear directive to build on our values and, most importantly, to live those values.
Joe’s Place, the Food Security Hub, and even Hope House were all projects in the making for years. But, in the midst of the attacks on our social safety nets here in the United States, these steps forward feel even more critical than ever. Food assistance, healthcare, housing, and homeless services are increasingly being yanked from the people who rely on them to survive.
So, this year, our 50th year, once again we did what our mission implores us to do. Each day – without pause – we delivered services, food, and housing with compassion to people in need. And we relentlessly advocated for human rights for everyone.
And you did too. You heard the call to action and are standing up for our collective values. Every human being matters and deserves dignity and compassion.
We are going to keep creating, keep helping, keep advocating, keep calling for justice. And I know that you will too.
Thank you for all that you do. I wish you peace, love, and hope in 2026.
Swannie
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Board Profile – Lauren Gauthier
How did you first get involved with Preble Street? My wife is from Maine, and we’d come up frequently to visit my in-laws before moving up here permanently. On one of these trips, I was lucky enough to meet Swannie through my father-in-law, John Roberts, and got a tour of the organization. It stuck with
50 years of food security
At 6 am on a frosty morning in early November, the lights and ovens get turned on at the Preble Street Food Security Hub (FSH). By 7am, volunteers and staff begin to fill the kitchen, and by 8:30 am, everything is humming along. The smell of roast chicken fills the air while knives go thunk
Everyone deserves a safety net
“I had just one thing in mind, one goal in mind,” shares Cindy Neff, from the apartment building she has been living in for the past six months. “I wanted to get off the streets. I wanted to live again. I wanted a roof over my head. I wanted that safety net back for myself.