Even 'rich' area in Maine hit by hunger, report says

PORTLAND – Cumberland County may be well known as Maine’s most affluent county, but it has plenty of residents who are struggling to feed themselves and their families, according to a new report. The Campaign to Promote Food Security in Cumberland County is scheduled to release its report today after a yearlong study. It says … Read more

Maine Voices: Bountiful tables not enjoyed by all

PORTLAND – Thanksgiving is a busy time at Preble Street, as at many homes across this country. Families and friends gather to catch up, share stories and build new histories together. And to eat. Food is a central part of Thanksgiving, ingrained in our cultural understanding of the holiday. For many Maine families, however, this … Read more

Homeless deaths cause concern

Homeless Voices for Justice was devastated to read of yet another death in the homeless community. James Stewart’s death, reported Sept. 2, brings the count to eight this summer alone. Can you imagine if eight members of another community in Portland had passed in two months? What would the response be then? We are angered … Read more

Hundreds Attend Yogathon in Portland

“Yogathon 2010” hit the Maine State Pier in Portland on Sunday afternoon, as hundreds participated in a public yoga event to raise money for the Preble Street Resource Center. Organizers say the Yogathon raises the overall consciousness about the benefits of yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle and also allows participants to enjoy the … Read more

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Maine gubernatorial candidates put the focus on homeless

PORTLAND – A group of gubernatorial candidates fielded questions on issues centering on homelessness Tuesday during a forum at the Preble Street social service agency. About 25 people, most of them homeless, attended the forum, which was sponsored by the Homeless Voices for Justice group. The candidates who attended were Democrat Libby Mitchell and independent … Read more

Giving is bountiful for Portland food pantry

The United Way of Greater Portland wrapped up a food pantry project with Preble Street with better-than-expected results, collecting donations that provided needy people with 23,200 meals. The two organizations more than doubled their expected contributions, receiving 860 boxes of food instead of an anticipated 400 boxes, with each box supplying about 27 meals. Elena … Read more

Preble Street Shelter Gains More Funding

PORTLAND, Maine — A new donation has given a boost to the Preble Street Resource Center’s effort to make up for funding withdrawn by the Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development withdrew support from "The Preble Street Homeless Voices for Justice Program." The diocese said that … Read more

Homeless outreach right approach

When you see an ambulance speeding through Portland, it’s easy to believe that it is headed to the scene of a car accident or a heart attack. It often is. But all too often the destination is a so-called "layout," or a street drunk who has collapsed in public. Addiction, homelessness and mental illness are … Read more

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Helping homeless seen as boon to commerce

PORTLAND – Last Friday afternoon, Michelle Souliere found a homeless man passed out drunk on the doorstep of her bookstore on Congress Street, the Green Hand. Instead of calling 911, she called the city’s Homeless Outreach & Mobile Engagement Team. A white van pulled up, and out jumped John Dana and Jesse Flynn, outreach workers … Read more

Attacks on Maine's Homeless Increasing, Advocates Say

It’s a warm day in Portland’s Tommy Park, and homeless people pass through in no particular hurry. But advocates say in the summer, the homeless also fan out to less safe parts of town, exposing them to greater risk of attacks, which they say appear to be increasing this year. Dee Clark, who is formerly … Read more