Advocacy Programs

… As Mainers, we should be ashamed of the growing numbers of kids and seniors with empty stomachs, fewer households eligible for crucial help augmenting their meager budgets, and more and more people lining up at food pantries and soup kitchens. At Preble Street, we serve 1,200 meals each day at three soup kitchens and … Read more

… Charities rely on volunteer labor and a patchwork of organizations, each with its own rules and goals. Only the government is big enough to consistently penetrate every corner of the state and get food to the people who need it. And even if there were no gaps for people to fall through in the … Read more

Portland had the dubious distinction in the days before Christmas of topping a list of U.S. cities “going above and beyond to push the most vulnerable Americans out of the public eye during the most compassionate time of the year.” The website U.S. Uncut singled out Maine’s largest city for destroying homeless encampments along Interstate … Read more

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – Maine’s commissioner of Health and Human Services is calling on the federal government for a waiver, allowing the state to prevent food stamps from being used to purchase soda and candy. Commissioner Mary Mayhew says the new policy would improve the health of low income Mainers while strengthening the integrity … Read more

Our homes provide us with much more than safety and warmth—they offer a place to retreat from a sometimes chaotic world and nourish our souls. Unfortunately, homelessness is an ongoing and ever-present issue in Maine. Today we speak with Navy veteran and Preble Street Veterans Healthcare Outreach Community Organizer Thomas Ptacek, who experienced a year of … Read more

PORTLAND, Maine – Summer is a time for kids to get a break from school and have some fun. But it’s also a time when hunger can become a problem, as kids don’t have access to school breakfast and lunch programs. Maine has hundreds of summer meal sites where kids can get free lunches throughout … Read more

Localvores, meet Michelle Lamm. She’s the Program Manager for the Maine Hunger Initiative, based out of the Preble Street Resource Center. Maine has the 5th highest rate of low food security in the US, and the highest in New England. Michelle works to make sure that kids in need have access to free food throughout … Read more

PORTLAND – For most students, summer is a time for nice weather, getting outside, and most importantly, no school. But it may also mean a time of struggle for students who rely on the schools for one or two meals a day. Ron Adams, the former food service director for Portland Public Schools, said more … Read more

PORTLAND, Maine – Deering Oaks park was buzzing Thursday with the playful chatter of about 150 children and their parents, who showed up to enjoy a free collaborative picnic that aimed to nourish bodies and minds and combat a growing problem in Maine: food insecurity. According to several the organizers of the event, including Donna … Read more

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Many low income families rely on free or reduced cost lunches for their kids during the school year. When the school year ends, those kids are at risk of going hungry. An event was held at Deering Oaks Park to let families know that this year there are 18 locations … Read more