Advocacy Programs

PORTLAND, Maine – Protestors marched again today against the planned move of the Department of Health and Human Services offices from its current location in Portland, to a new site in South Portland. They’ve been demonstrating against the move every month since December. The LePage administration says the move will save the state money and … Read more

AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — A public hearing on new welfare requirements was held on Wednesday. The Department of Health and Human Services says it will require “able bodied adults” who get SNAP benefits — commonly known as food stamps — to get jobs or volunteer. Commissioner Mary Mayhew says, “The volunteer aspect of this … Read more

AUGUSTA, Maine – Advocates for the low-income, veterans and the homeless turned out in Augusta to express their strong opposition to a proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services to cut off food stamps or SNAP benefits to able-bodied, childless adults after three months unless they work 20 hours a week, volunteer or … Read more

Advocates for the poor are urging Governor LePage’s administration to scrap a plan that would require people to have a job to receive food stamps. LePage’s administration announced last month that it will no longer seek a federal waiver that has allowed jobless people to continue receiving benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Non-elderly, … Read more

STATEWIDE (WGME) — The Department of Health and Human Services moves forward with a proposed rule change, requiring some food stamp recipients to work for their benefits. Wednesday afternoon, the department held a public hearing, the one and only opportunity for Mainers to weigh in. About two dozen people signed up to speak, most of … Read more

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Department of Health and Human Services held a hearing on Wednesday on new food stamp requirements. Last month the state announced that it will require most able-bodied recipients to work, provide volunteer services or be involved in a specialized work training program in order to receive food stamps for longer … Read more

AUGUSTA, Maine – A proposed rule change by Gov. Paul LePage that could see about 12,000 food stamp recipients lose eligibility for the program on Jan. 1 was decried by advocacy groups Tuesday during a public hearing held by the Department of Health and Human Services. Representatives from soup kitchens and food pantries, as well … Read more

Experts may say the economy is getting better in light of the bulls on Wall Street, lower unemployment figures and rising home prices, but for those stuck in a low-paying job, life is downright difficult. Trying to pay the bills on $8 or $9 an hour can be an exercise in frustration and anxiety. And … Read more

The shrewdness of panhandling on a median strip at a busy intersection is that it places the panhandler on the driver’s side of vehicles when they stop at red lights. Cities all over the country have seen a rise in recent years in roadside panhandlers, and Maine cities are no exception. Motorists in Portland have … Read more

Organizations that serve the homeless in Augusta, Portland and York County have all recently lost their longtime, transformational leaders. The changeovers come as Maine’s homeless population has seemed to shrink slightly from the record peaks of the last few years, but it remains regrettably high. These three organizations, and others like them across the state, … Read more