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OUR MISSION

The mission of Preble Street is to provide accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty, and to advocate for solutions to these problems.

Our Programs

From a nutritious meal to crisis intervention, from clean clothes to healthcare, from shelters to a permanent home, Preble Street programs not only meet urgent needs but also create solutions to homelessness and hunger.

Who We Serve

The people we meet come from every background. Some were born into abject poverty and abuse. Others were born into a loving and stable family, but life’s circumstances dictated a wildly unanticipated course.

OUR ANNUAL IMPACT

homeless youth find safety, services, and housing
0
Veterans and their families receive housing support
0
meals served to families and individuals in need
1 M
homeless adults have basic needs met & work towards goals
0
survivors of human trafficking reclaim their lives
0
shelter nights avoided through Site-based Housing First
30000

Preble Street is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that depends on the generosity of friends who lend their time and their resources. Every gift you make, every hour you spend, helps those most in need.

LATEST NEWS

Landlords can help end homelessness in Maine

With emergency shelters closing or at full capacity throughout the state, we must do all we can as a community to ensure individuals and families experiencing homelessness return to housing quickly and do not become homeless again. Through casework and financial assistance, Preble Street’s Rapid Re-Housing, Teen Housing, and Veterans Housing programs are working to

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Bringing permanent supportive housing to Bangor

Earlier this year, Preble Street celebrated 20 years of permanent housing programs with 24-hour social work support. Could there be a better way to honor the impact of Logan Place, Florence House, and Huston Commons than to see the momentum towards similar programs across the state?   Preble Street has been selected as the social service

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Fostering connection through food

Preble Street Food Programs is committed to providing the most nutritious, delicious, and balanced meals possible for people struggling with food insecurity in Maine. While recent updates to the Preble Street Food Security Hub have made this easier, there are still unique challenges. We rely on donations, meaning we often don’t know what ingredients we

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With a little help from our friends

The work we do to empower people experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty is never done alone. We are continuously making connections with other social service providers and nonprofits to better serve clients and the needs of the community. From our decades-long collaboration with Avesta Housing for our housing programs to our new partnership with Maine

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Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Preble Street! Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Please join us to honor and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Preble Street! GATHER with supporters, former and current staff, volunteers, partner organizations, and community members to CELEBRATE all that we have accomplished in the last 50 years to find solutions for homelessness and hunger in Maine. This event is free to attend. Advance registration is requested. EVERYONE

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TAKE ACTION TO KEEP ALL PORTLAND SHELTERS OPEN

Updated – May 1, 2025, at 4:06pm Preble Street is asking Portland residents to reach out to the City Council and urge them to support the City Manager’s recommended FY26 budget which calls for no cuts to municipal services through ‘the use of $8.8M in Fund Balance.’ And, we also ask the Council to reject

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FEATURED STORIES

Brian’s story

Brian Hester is a proud Marine Corps Veteran. If you ask, he’ll tell you he “loved every minute” of his two-and-a-half years of service with the Marines. But, like many Veterans in Maine and all over the U.S., Brian cycled in and out

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Peter’s Story

Peter was homeless for eight months, sleeping on the street and in different shelters in Augusta and Lewiston. He’s an Air Force Veteran, originally from Madawaska, Maine, who lost housing when his landlord increased his rent with only a month’s notice. “I had

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Ron’s Story

“I’ll say it 1000 times over, the VA saved my life,” shares Ron. Ron is a former U.S. Marine. He currently lives at a residential facility in Lewiston, Maine, operated by Veteran’s Inc., a nonprofit that provides support services to Veterans and Veteran families

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

Every week 350 community volunteers lend a hand at Preble Street and almost 100% of the food and clothing we distribute is donated. We welcome — we depend on — your time, financial support, and in-kind donations. Volunteering at one meal a year, once in a while, or every week; donating work boots for someone trying to turn their life around, or organizing a fundraiser — every gift you give helps those most in need.