Matthew’s Story

The first time Matthew experienced homelessness was when he was 14. He was living in the woods of rural Maine in a tent by himself. Depression about his situation led to substance use, which led to more depression, and he went a decade without seeing or speaking with his family. When he finally connected to … Read more

Anti-Trafficking Services

PREBLE STREET ANTI-TRAFFICKING SERVICES Preble Street Anti-Trafficking Services (ATS) paves the way forward to healing, growth, self-sufficiency, and a life free from coercion and exploitation. Since 2013, Preble Street ATS and its partners have provided services to people of all ages and genders who have been forced into all types of human trafficking — people … Read more

Teen Services

TEEN SERVICES Preble Street Teen Services provides low-barrier access to shelter, food, basic needs, casework, mental health supports, education and employment services, and a variety of housing options for youth experiencing homelessness between the ages of 12-24 in Maine. We are proud to work alongside young people who are the experts of their own experiences and to support … Read more

Advocacy

ADVOCATING FOR SOLUTIONS Read Preble Street’s Legislative Priorities for the regular session of the 132nd Maine legislature here. Preble Street is committed to motivating both the public and private will to end hunger, homelessness, and poverty in the lives of our neighbors and to building strong, equitable, and just communities.  Healthy communities depend on dignity, … Read more

What We Do

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 shelter to a permanent home, Preble Street programs not only … Read more

Ryan’s Story

Over the summer, Teen Services staff and youth collaborated with Cultivating Community to plant and harvest a garden in the Teen Center courtyard. Tomatoes, strawberries, rhubarb, herbs, and an assortment of flowers all flourished, and much of the food was harvested and used by Preble Street Food Programs to prepare meals for the youth to … Read more

A simple change could give Maine's hungry rural people more food

… Over the past year, Good Shepherd Food Bank and Preble Street have undertaken the first research effort of its kind to better understand trends of hunger and food pantry usage in Maine. The results from more than 2,000 surveys completed in 244 towns in every county show how much Mainers are depending on local … Read more