“I friggin’ love it here!” – Elena’s Way Wellness Shelter client On a Tuesday in early October, the first guests entered the long-awaited Elena’s Way Wellness Shelter. They were greeted by a wide-open space filled with natural light, soothing colors and art on the walls, and their very own bed. Preble Street caseworkers gave them … Read more
A model for future shelters, Elena’s Way provides dignity and choice to individuals of all genders experiencing homelessness and complex health and behavioral issues who are unableto access any other shelter Shelter is a human right, yet the number of people living unsheltered in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston, and throughout the state of Maine has surged. … Read more
Over the last year, 111 survivors of human trafficking in Maine have worked with Preble Street Anti-Trafficking Services (ATS) to reclaim their lives on their own terms. Many of these individuals have received support at the Preble Street Healing Center, which marks its one-year anniversary in September. The Healing Center opened to expand the work … Read more
Shelter is a human right and emergency shelters are a vital element of the public health infrastructure. When designed and operated using both preventive medicine and social work best practices, emergency shelters are uniquely situated to promote the health and wellness of individuals accessing services as well as the surrounding community. The COVID-19 pandemic has … Read more
Preble Street unequivocally condemns racism, white supremacy, sexism, ableism, and all hateful actions or words wherever they may occur – whether in our offices or shelters, in the communities we work in, or elsewhere in the world. Our mission calls on us to ‘empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty’ and to … Read more
Shelter is a human right and emergency shelters are a vital part of the public health infrastructure. When designed and operated using both preventive medicine and social work best practices, emergency shelters are uniquely situated to promote the health and wellness of individuals accessing services as well as the surrounding community. The COVID-19 pandemic has … Read more
By Sam Chamberlain (he/him), Managing Director of Preble Street Quarantine Shelters Note: With funding from MaineHousing, Preble Street operated a Quarantine & Isolation (Q&I) Shelter in Scarborough from May 2020 through March 31, 2022. Because of decreased need, the state consolidated this service to Lewiston as of April 1, 2022. As social workers — and … Read more
OVERVIEW Maine has one of the highest rates of opioid-related overdose deaths in the country. The number of Mainers who died from an overdose has tripled over the last seven years, with an estimated 636 people dying from overdoses in 2021 in our state. Most of these deaths were due to opioids. Living in high stress situations with limited access … Read more
Throughout Maine, children and adults of all genders, ages, and races are forced by sexual, physical, and psychological coercion or violence to do all kinds of work, including farm labor, domestic service, sex work, and restaurant and hospitality service. This is human trafficking, a crime of exploitation that can and does impact every community. In Maine, sex … Read more
100 Maine Veterans who were homeless in 2021 are warm, safe, and housed as we enter the winter months — including a Veteran who had been homeless for over 900 days, and a family with seven children. Thanks to massive outreach by caseworkers and community partners, the 100 Veteran Challenge was a resounding success! Veteran … Read more
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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.
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