Preble Street

“The loss of Hope House would’ve been felt statewide." Mark Swann, Preble Street Executive Director No matter our race, income, or where we're from, we all need and deserve a safe place to sleep. Accessible, low-barrier shelters are one critical resource that help to make sure everyone in our communities has a safe place to sleep and can access basic needs. They are often the first step in the process for people to exit homelessness and find housing. Starting in 2025, Preble Street is taking over the operations of Hope House, a 56-bed, low-barrier shelter in Bangor. In the fall of 2023, Penobscot Community Health Center (PCHC) announced it would close Hope House in one year unless another provider could take over operations. Preble Street is assuming operations to ensure this critical resource remains available for the Bangor community and its residents. Hope House is the only adult, low-barrier shelter north of Waterville and the largest shelter in Bangor. Continue reading here ?? https://lnkd.in/gJ7G2JtS Or, watch this news coverage about the transition ?? https://lnkd.in/gwTkdddR

Get up early with Preble Street on Monday, November 25, for the #NeighborsinNeed donation drive. Starting at 5am and going through 10am, radio stations Coast 93.1, 98.9 WCLZ, and 1019 Por will be interviewing staff, clients, Preble Street friends, and volunteers, with hosts joining us on-site at the Preble Street Food Security Hub. For more info or to give, please visit https://lnkd.in/gSxBFGzm.

A big congratulations to Preble Street Person of the Month, Bob Avery. In his time at Preble Street, Bob has established himself as a tireless worker, collaborative teammate, and true advocate for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Every day, Bob shows up with a blend of calmness and positivity that lifts his teammates and grounds his clients. When the Street Outreach Collaborative was down 50% of its staff, Bob stepped up and covered the van without question, having to navigate all the immediate needs of Preble Street clients while continuing to work on long-term goals. Bob advocates for the people Preble Street serves in ways that are true to their experiences and in a collaborative and productive manner that creates the possibility for real change to occur. His commitment to the team and to our clients serves as a model for all of us for how to provide client-centered care. Thank you for all you do, Bob! #Personofthemonth #Bob

"Hester, now 18 months sober, lives in an apartment complex in Westbrook, where he was placed in June by Preble Street Veterans Housing Services. He’s committed to his own sobriety and helping others going through the same battle." Read about Veteran Brian Hester's journey from homelessness to housing to now recovery sponsor. Preble Street Veteran's Housing Services helped Brian identify and secure housing, with case management, housing counseling, and financial assistance. Since October 2023, Preble Street has helped to house more than 270 Maine Veterans, like Brian, and has supported more than 550, with case management, housing counseling, financial assistance, and other services. Continue reading: https://lnkd.in/g5EyErT9 #nohomelessVeterans #VeteransDay

“'We’ve had a lot of success over the past few months and have been housing about one veteran each day,' said Laura Clark, the program’s director." Before Veteran's Day next Monday, November 11, take a few minutes to read this timely article from Mainebiz about the amazing work of Preble Street's Veteran Housing Services Team. They've housed over 277 Veterans since October 2023 and are working to end Veteran homelessness in Maine by June 2025.

Preble Street's Food Programs is a 365-day-a-year operation, preparing up to 2,000 nutritious and culturally appropriate meals every day and delivering an average of 1,600 food box meals every month to the most vulnerable people in Southern Maine. Visit our website to learn how Preble Street Food Programs is part of the solution to hunger in Maine: https://lnkd.in/gv6J4MKi #PrebleStreetfoodprograms #foodsecurityhub #PrebleStreetLoveInAction

"Just to have a place like this is life changing. It's a lot of help... it definitely keeps people off the street and helps people live." - Kelley, Preble Street Housing First Tenant Please take a few moments to watch the video linked below that was screened at the second Preble Street Conference on Homelessness. You'll hear directly from Site-based Housing First tenants on why permanent housing with on-site support services is a crucial and necessary resource for people who have experienced chronic homelessness. Follow the link below to understand Site-based Housing First changes lives: https://lnkd.in/g3cJwEZh #housingfirst #Preblestreetloveinaction #together

Homeless Voices for Justice (HVJ) has published their 2024 Maine Voter Guide. As part of their "You Don't Need a Home to Vote" campaign, HVJ publishes a Maine Voter Guide every election cycle to help Maine voters make informed decisions at the ballot box. HVJ sends survey questions to candidates around issues like affordable housing, homelessness, and more, publishing them in their Voter Guide. The 2024 Voter Guide outlines the professional history and survey responses for candidates running at the local (City of Portland), state, and federal level. Follow the link to their guide below and make an informed decision on Election Day, November 5th: https://lnkd.in/gEBrsuMZ #2024Mainevoterguide #homelessvoicesforjustice

A big THANK YOU to everyone in attendance at the second, biennial Preble Street Conference on Homelessness last week. It was truly a powerful and impactful day, with people from around Maine and the U.S. coming together to discuss practical and effective solutions to homelessness and how we can continue improving service to the most vulnerable community members. Greg Payne, Senior Advisor, Housing Policy, in the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF), received Preble Street's Force for Good Award for his work on affordable housing in Maine. “At this very conference two years ago, Greg drew a line in the sand and said that ‘the problem is that the pace at which we are getting these desperately needed and highly successful properties up and running is not nearly good enough,” shared Mark Swann. “He challenged Maine to prioritize Site-based Housing First and to add enough programs across the state to end chronic homelessness. And then he spent these past two years, working to pass the legislation that can make that happen.” A special thank you to all of the Conference sponsors and all of the presenting organizations. We hope to see you in 2026 at the next Preble Street Conference on Homelessness! Visit our website to read more about the day's events at the second Preble Street Conference on Homelessness: https://lnkd.in/gVvp3gE4 #solutionsstartwithME #preblestreetconferenceonhomelessness #endmehomelessness

TOMORROW is the big day! Leaders and decision-makers from across Maine and the U.S. will come together at the Holiday Inn in Portland to discuss innovative and effective solutions to homelessness in Maine. Topics include: Unsheltered Homelessness, Housing First, Funding solutions, and more. Visit our website to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gVvp3gE4