NEWS & UPDATES
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
Mark Swann ’84 Nominated for Congressional Honor
The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation has selected Mark Swann ’84 as one of 20 national finalists for an award honoring “those ordinary Americans who become extraordinary through their indomitable courage and selflessness.” Swann was selected from hundreds of nominations nationwide for the Citizen Service Before Self Honor for his decades of helping the homeless
Pingree taps Portland homeless advocate for national award
PORTLAND — Mark Swann will know by Monday, March 12, if he will be honored by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for his work in 21 years at the helm of Preble Street. Nominated by U.S. representative Chellie Pingree for a prestigious national award called Citizen Service Before Self, Swann probably couldn’t have imagined
Give a medal and people a chance
Someone should give Mark Swann a medal. And later this month, someone just might. "The word I keep using to describe it is ‘overwhelming,’" said Swann, the longtime executive director of Preble Street, over a hot cup of coffee Thursday morning. "It’s been kind of a whirlwind couple of days." First the news: This week,
Preble Street executive director Mark Swann featured on Dr. Lisa Radio Show & Podcast
How do childhood events impact the health of an individual–or a community? How can we best “reap what we sow” when it comes to nutrition? All this and more on our autumn-themed “Harvest” show. This week’s guests included Julie Alfred Sullivan, Public Health Director for the City of Portland (Maine), Dr. Richard Maurer of Coastal
