News

NEWS & UPDATES

Joe’s Place: bringing services for youth under one roof

“What I want you to know about Preble Street is that they have a lot of resources to help you, and they want to help you.” Youth currently being served by Preble Street Teen Services Providing 24-hour services, seven days a week, Preble Street Teen Services operates separate day and night shelters for homeless and runaway

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Educating future doctors at the Learning Collaborative

“You can be the best doctor in the world… have a photographic memory and memorize every type of medication. But, if your patients aren’t getting their basic needs met outside of the clinical environment, if they don’t have housing or shelter, if they don’t have access to food, it’s really, really hard to treat them

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Volunteers needed! Summer volunteer opportunities

Preble Street has many rewarding and fun volunteer opportunities that are great for individuals, families, and even groups!  Whether chopping veggies and helping to prepare meals at Preble Street’s Food Security Hub or organizing donations at the Receiving Center, there is a way for everyone to get involved and make a direct impact in the

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What does Harm Reduction look like at Preble Street?

“I am a human being. Part of my job, part of being alive, is making sure others are, too.” Joe Kreisler, Preble Street Founder Every ten days, a client at one of Preble Street’s programs experiences an overdose. Preble Street staff respond to these overdoses, reversing as many as possible, saving lives, and compassionately utilizing

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Vision for Food Security Hub becoming a reality

Food insecurity is a critical issue facing Maine. According to Feeding America, Maine has a higher-than-average food insecurity rate of 12.3%. The national average is 10.5%. One‐in-eight Maine people and one‐in‐five Maine children are hungry or at risk for hunger. Maine’s Roadmap to End Hunger initiative estimates the total number of people experiencing food insecurity

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Preble Street Board Profile – Joe Ingream: Curbside Spring/Summer 2024

How did you first get involved with Preble Street? My first experience working with Preble Street was volunteering at their former soup kitchen in downtown Portland. I volunteered many times with my daughters while they were in middle school and high school. I also volunteered several times with colleagues prior to joining OneAmerica Financial. The

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A whole new chance at life

For 14 years, Kabir was homeless in Portland. But today, he is safely housed at Logan Place, Maine’s first Site-based Housing First program which opened 19 years ago. Kabir’s time on the streets was tough. “There is no break when you’re homeless. There’s no door to close,” he shared. Living outside led to numerous health

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Preventing youth from becoming unhoused

One of the most important things we can do for young people experiencing difficult, unsafe, or unstable situations is to find alternative options to entering emergency shelter. The impact of diverting youth from spending even just one night in a shelter bed can make a significant impact over their lifetime. “Once someone accesses emergency shelter,

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Letter from Swannie: Spring/Summer 2024

PHOTO: Partnership at work! Staff from Greater Portland Health, Maine Medical Center, and Preble Street recently celebrated the one year anniversary of recuperative care in Maine Anti-poverty work is far too important and complex to expect any one organization to be able to do it alone. Partnerships and collaboration are key. I was amazed when

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27th Annual Muskie Access to Justice Award Winner: Mark Swann

The Hon. Edmund S. Muskie Access to Justice Award honors commitment to the public good, advanced through hard thinking, deep feeling, a voice of eloquent civility and a passion for justice. The award is presented each spring. In 2024, the Hon. Edmund S. Muskie Access-to-Justice Award was presented to Preble Street Executive Director Mark Swann

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Carrying the values of Preble Street – Peter Adams

For the past 25 years, Peter Adams has been a fixture at Preble Street, helping to keep the buildings maintained, clients and staff safe, and the community clean. But, he’s done so much more for Preble Street than just his job duties – he’s been a friend to all who have come in our doors

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Landlords are a part of the solution

To address homelessness and housing insecurity in Maine, the help and support of landlords is critical. Preble Street works closely with landlords to identify and maintain stable housing for clients. Their partnership is crucial to successfully housing people, who are transitioning from shelter or the street. Veteran’s Housing Services (VHS), in particular, frequently works alongside landlords

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