NEWS & UPDATES
Elena’s Way opens soon to provide 24/7 intensive services to 40 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness
A model for future shelters, Elena’s Way provides dignity and choice to individuals of all genders experiencing homelessness and complex health and behavioral issues who are unableto access any other shelter Shelter is a human right, yet the number of people living unsheltered in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston, and throughout the state of Maine has surged.
Path to Healing
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
Hope in Recovery
Last year, 631 Mainers died of overdoses, and according to the Maine Overdose Report, the number of fatal overdoses so far this year are 9.7% higher. We know that people experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to substance use disorder. We know that leaving them to struggle with this disease on their own is a death
Preble Street Statement on City of South Portland/New Gen Hotels License Conditions: Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Casco Bay Hotels
Preble Street appreciates the efforts of the City of South Portland to reach an agreement with the New Gen Hospitality Management group that will keep people sheltered. It is critical that the cities of Portland and South Portland, the state, and service providers come together to implement a strong and professional outreach effort to the
More than food
People experiencing food insecurity often rely on the emergency food system to have enough food to eat. Unfortunately, because pantries and soup kitchens are often underfunded and rely on donations, the food they provide is regularly highly processed and contains excessive amounts of sugar, sodium, and saturated fats. This highly processed food retains very little
250 youth work to reclaim their lives
We meet incredible young people through our programs — youth who, against all odds, overcome barriers and circumstances most of us could not imagine and work to reclaim their lives. Clients are the experts of their own experiences and caseworkers support them in setting and achieving their goals of independence, stability, and safety. Each of
Tell the City of Portland to fund shelter and food security!
The City of Portland is giving YOU a voice in how they spend millions of dollars in Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Participate in their poll and tell them that shelter and food security need to be priorities! The lack of supportive shelters and a shortage of affordable housing have created a crisis
Elena’s Way: A model for future shelters
Emergency shelters provide more than just a place to stay for people experiencing homelessness. When designed and operated using social work best practices, shelters promote the health and wellness of the people accessing services as well as the surrounding community. Perhaps most importantly, these shelters provide hope for the future. Elena’s Way (pictured above), the new
Client Assistance Fund: A hand up
Homelessness and poverty disproportionately affect BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. In Maine, Black and African American individuals are ten times more likely to experience homelessness than their White peers. To help counteract these negative effects of white supremacist systems, a generous donor contributed $150,000 for a Client Assistance Fund (CAF) to address
Welcome aboard and a farewell to friends!
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
Tell Maine Senators Collins and King to support the Eviction Crisis Act!
The affordable housing crisis, inflation in the cost of basic necessities, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a homelessness and eviction crisis in Maine and across the United States. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado has introduced a bill to address this growing issue. Join us in asking Senator Susan Collins and Senator
Mental Health and Homelessness
Behind the struggles faced by many of the people Preble Street serves are fundamentally broken mental health and shelter systems. Living in high-stress situations on the streets or in crowded shelters with limited access to treatment makes people experiencing homelessness particularly vulnerable to chronic mental health issues and co-occurring substance use disorders. Earlier this month,
