For the past 25 years, Peter Adams has been a fixture at Preble Street, helping to keep the buildings maintained, clients and staff safe, and the community clean. But, he’s done so much more for Preble Street than just his job duties – he’s been a friend to all who have come in our doors … Read more
The Street Outreach Collaborative (SOC), Preble Street’s mobile outreach team, focuses primarily on people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, with the highest need. The SOC drives around Portland in a blue, Preble Street branded van, (you’ve probably seen it!) looking to meet basic needs and distribute nutritious meals to people. Basic needs are the foundation for a … Read more
Preble Street has a decades-long history of filling service gaps, meeting urgent needs and working in tandem with our partners to address problems and provide hope for our vulnerable neighbors. Today, we are a strong anti-poverty agency that has many doorways – more than a dozen programs throughout the state, including Anti-Trafficking Services; Veterans Housing … Read more
Behind the struggles with drugs, crime and extreme poverty in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood – described in a lengthy article in the May 6 Maine Sunday Telegram – is a fundamentally broken mental health system and inadequate treatment for those suffering with substance use disorder. It’s really that simple. Read more…
The Portland Fire Department is partnering with social service agencies to reach out to the city’s homeless population and educate them about fire safety. Fire Chief Jerome LaMoria, members of the PFD and various agencies began handing out flameless candles and fire prevention pamphlets Tuesday outside the Preble Street Resource Center. The outreach and education … Read more
SACO, Maine – (NEWS CENTER) — Maine State Police detectives continue to investigate what happened to a homeless woman who was discovered severely beaten in a motel room. Elizabeth Williams was found by the cleaning staff at the Sunrise Motel on Route One late Saturday morning and rushed to Maine Medical Center. She died at … Read more
PORTLAND – About a year ago, Rob Parritt began keeping a three-ring binder in his office at the Oxford Street Shelter to hold the growing stack of doctors’ notes asking the homeless shelter to provide special accommodations for clients with medical issues. The binder covers now strain to contain the 3 inches of papers that … Read more
PORTLAND – Every year, there are news reports about the deaths of homeless people, whether from natural causes or the result of accidents or crimes. Such was the case on May 17, when it was reported that 51-year-old David Westfall, of Portland, was struck and killed by a car shortly before 10 p.m. as he … Read more
The economic downturn is increasing hunger across the country. Maine is being particularly hard-hit. What can we do about it? Host: Nicole Witherbee Guest(s): Mark Swann, Preble Street Resource Center; Joel Berg, New York Coalition against Hunger and author, All You Can Eat, How Hungry is America?
