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
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
Annual Homeless Persons’s Memorial Vigil
VIGIL LOCATION CHANGE: Tonight’s Annual Homeless Persons’ Vigil has been moved to First Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist at 425 Congress Street, Portland. A candlelight procession will start at the MaineHealth-Preble Street Learning Collaborative, located at 20 Portland Street, at 4:30 pm and proceed to First Parish. Attendees are also welcome to gather inside First Parish beginning
Staff highlight: Rich Tucker – Helping clients move forward
Preble Street staff are #CompassionInAction, and we want you to get to know them! This month we’re introducing you to Rich Tucker, Housing Support Worker, Teen Services How long have you worked at Preble Street? And in your current program? I’ve been at Preble Street since November 2005, and with Teen Services for almost 4 years. What do you
30 years of Homeless Voices for Justice
This month we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Homeless Voices for Justice (HVJ)! Since 1995, HVJ has ensured that the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness are heard by people in power. Preble Street Founder Joe Kreisler knew that true change can only occur when people who are experiencing a problem are part of
Board Profile – Lauren Gauthier
How did you first get involved with Preble Street? My wife is from Maine, and we’d come up frequently to visit my in-laws before moving up here permanently. On one of these trips, I was lucky enough to meet Swannie through my father-in-law, John Roberts, and got a tour of the organization. It stuck with
50 years of food security
At 6 am on a frosty morning in early November, the lights and ovens get turned on at the Preble Street Food Security Hub (FSH). By 7am, volunteers and staff begin to fill the kitchen, and by 8:30 am, everything is humming along. The smell of roast chicken fills the air while knives go thunk
Everyone deserves a safety net
“I had just one thing in mind, one goal in mind,” shares Cindy Neff, from the apartment building she has been living in for the past six months. “I wanted to get off the streets. I wanted to live again. I wanted a roof over my head. I wanted that safety net back for myself.
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
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
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
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.