NEWS & UPDATES
New non-traditional 24/7 shelter, ‘Elena’s Way,’ to open in Portland in mid-October
Preble Street’s new 24/7 shelter is set to open next week as a non-traditional model to help people struggling to find stable housing. “Elena’s Way” will offer 40 beds as permanent spaces for people experiencing homelessness. Staff will target those who either cannot or will not stay in the city’s shelters, such as those with
Sustainability Efforts at the Preble Street Food Security Hub
Food production and energy use are two of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. While climate change affects all of us, people living in poverty are most vulnerable to its impacts, including rising temperatures, natural disasters, and potential global threats to food security. Recognizing the potential outsized impact on socially
Get ready to vote this Election Day!
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8 and we want you to get out and vote! Advocacy is key to our mission and one of the most important aspects of the Preble Street Advocacy Team’s work this time of year is ensuring that Mainers experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty know their voting rights and are registered to vote. Preble
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
