NEWS & UPDATES
Natural Foodie: Employee gardens encourage dirty hands, warm hearts
For the second year, Patty Cook is gardening on company time. A manager at Idexx Laboratories, Cook is one of hundreds of employees cultivating crops for local food pantries behind the global veterinary testing company’s sprawling corporate headquarters in Westbrook. "We delivered to the Sagamore (Village) Food Pantry last year," Cook said. "It was amazing
Telling the Truth About Homelessness
Foreclosures and unemployment are pushing middle class and low-income Americans out of their homes, and emergency shelters and food pantries are seeing record increases in demand for their services. Yet some recent reports suggest that homelessness is not increasing significantly. This is due to both flaws in the data they rely on and the narrow
Portland businesses, city have little recourse to deal with increase in panhandling
PORTLAND, Maine – Don Deitz labored to get to the driver’s side window of a small red car, damaged nerves in his legs making even the short walk difficult. He accepted a few dollars and a passing conversation from the driver, then returned to his cardboard sign and the corner of State Street and Park
Amidst Protest, Republican Backed Budget Passes Senate Vote
Augusta – Republican lawmakers in Augusta plan to use their majority to pass a state budget rewrite that makes up for an $80-million shortfall largely through cuts in social services. But Tuesday’s vote did not come without a fight. The Maine Senate has given the proposal initial proposal with a 19-to-16 vote along party lines.
Summer Starts Early for ‘Community Matters in Maine’ Fellows
Recently selected for summer placements in nonprofits throughout Maine’s midcoast, this year’s Community Matters in Maine fellows gathered recently to hear more about what to expect from the best source: alumni of the program. The students selected for the program met in Adams Hall with last year’s fellows Dan Peckham ’12 and Amar Patel ’13.
Maine Voices: Human-services nonprofits must take lead on knitting new safety net
PORTLAND — The somber news that Chicago’s Hull House had to close its doors after 122 years is as big a story in the human service sector as the collapse of Lehman Brothers was to the investment world. And, as the banking industry still struggles to right itself, so too social service agencies are trying
Citizens Tell Lawmakers: ‘Put Maine First’
More than 150 people from all over Maine brought a simple message to state lawmakers on Monday: “Put Maine First.” These citizen-lobbyists attended a legislative briefing organized by a coalition of groups working in the public interest and then made their way to the State House to have their voices heard. EngageMaine’s Ben Dudley: “In
General Assistance cuts could hurt veterans
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — There are concerns that cuts in General Assistance funding could have a negative impact on veterans who are trying to get back on their feet. A number of veterans qualify for GA funding, which provides them with a temporary home while they wait for a place to live permanently. A
Portland councilors weigh grant requests
PORTLAND – Facing more than $3 million in funding requests, the City Council will have to make difficult choices April 9. That’s when councilors will vote on City Manager Mark Rees’ proposal for distributing about $1.8 million in federal Community Development Block Grants. Rees is recommending that the money be spent on a variety of
Voices in Poverty – A VISTA Story of Service
Working at the Preble Street Resource Center, a day shelter, soup kitchen, and food pantry for homeless and low-income community members, my position as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps has opened my eyes to the social isolation and invisibility that often accompanies poverty. "People go out of their way to walk
Letter to the Editor: Mark Swann, Preble Street making a real difference
No doubt, Mark Swann should receive recognition for his long-term efforts on behalf of the many homeless helped by Preble Street and its affiliates. If it were possible, those very people now and in the past would give him a medal. As it is, I am quite sure that they have a heartfelt gratitude that
Preble Street Teen Services earns national attention
PORTLAND, Maine — Teenagers arrive at Preble Street’s Teen Center or Lighthouse Shelter for a wide range of reasons. Abuse, sexual abuse, trouble with the law, family crises. But once they show up, none are turned away. “Anybody under 21 who walks through our doors can get their basic needs met,” said Chris Bicknell, director
