New grant to help Maine victims of sex trafficking

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Portland’s Preble Street Resources Center is getting a $400,000 grant to help young women escape from sex trafficking. The social services agency will begin receiving the first $200,000 installment of the two-year grant from the Department of Justice this fall. Part of it will be used to develop a statewide network … Read more

New grant helps fight sex trafficking in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – Preble Street is putting together a major initiative to fight human trafficking in Southern Maine — thanks to a $400,000 grant from the federal government. The 2-year grant was announced at a news conference Monday morning. Preble Street reports its informal survey of clients at the Preble Street Teen Center … Read more

Portland coalition takes aim at human trafficking

PORTLAND – A coalition led by social service agency Preble Street has received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to provide services for victims of human trafficking in Cumberland and York counties. With the two-year grant, the Preble Street Anti-Trafficking Coalition will provide outreach, health and legal services, case management and other … Read more

Portland agency gets grant to help human trafficking victims

An agency in Portland that assists the homeless and those with low incomes has received a $400,000 federal grant to support a coalition that will provide services to victims of human trafficking in southern Maine. Preble Street Executive Director Mark Swann says sex trafficking and exploitation, along with labor trafficking, are growing problems in York … Read more

Preble Street receives grant to fight sex trafficking

Preble Street will use a $400,000 federal grant to establish services for prostitution victims in Maine. Daniella Cameron, supervisor of Preble Street Teen Services, said sex trafficking – usually involving homeless girls coerced by men into prostitution – isn’t something that the victims will talk about unless asked the right questions in the right way. … Read more

Maine efforts to combat human trafficking get federal funding

Advocates for homeless teenagers and young people with disabilities in southern Maine say a $400,000 federal grant will help dedicate resources for young people who have been coerced into trading sex for money or a place to sleep. The two-year grant from the Department of Justice to Preble Street allocates funds directly to help victims … Read more

Surviving sex trafficking as a child, finding a voice

As a girl and a survivor of sex trafficking, dee Clarke didn’t have the words to explain what had happened to her. All she knew was “prostitute.” But that wasn’t right. It was years before she said: kidnapped, raped, tortured, trafficked. Now 55 and living in Portland, she has found the language to explain the … Read more

4 things to know about social work at Preble Street

1. It’s about relationships, not just services. Caseworkers don’t just help connect people to food and housing. They focus on building true human connections with the individuals they work with. Listening, treating each individual with dignity and respect, and getting to know someone’s story are all important parts of the work. At Preble Street, social workers see … Read more

Staff highlight: Annick Nzeyimana – Walking alongside clients

Preble Street staff are #CompassionInAction, and we want you to get to know them! This month we’re introducing you to Annick Nzeyimana, Case Worker, Anti-Trafficking Services. How long have you worked at Preble Street? I have been working at Preble Street and in the Anti-Trafficking Services program for the past two years. What do you like most about your role? What … Read more

Impact of current ICE actions on Preble Street

TAKE ACTION to Protect Maine’s Public Schools, Hospitals, Daycares, and Libraries from ICE Leah McDonald, Vice President of Staff & Culture at Preble Street, shares how the recent surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Maine is affecting staff and their work. How would you describe Preble Street staff and the work they … Read more