In 1975 Preble Street was founded as a neighborhood center to involve and empower homeless and low-income residents. As homelessness became an urban issue, Preble Street was the first agency in Maine to recognize that homeless people needed a place to stay during the day and has operated a day shelter since 1981, providing free meals and access to clothing, phones, bathrooms, mail, and linkage to community resources for housing, healthcare, mental health treatment, employment, etc.
As ideas for a more unified community resource center emerged, Preble Street launched a unique collaborative partnership of private and public agencies working together to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the homeless and low-income residents of Greater Portland, consolidating three soup kitchens, a food pantry, the City of Portland Homeless Healthcare Clinic, a day shelter, social services, a housing location program, and a homelessness prevention program.
This model was replicated in 1996 at the Teen Center and expanded to include overnight shelters for homeless youth and women in 2004 and 2007, respectively. The first permanent low-barrier supportive housing for chronically homeless adults in Maine, Logan Place, was opened in 2005, as well as casework support for previously homeless families in community–based housing.
Today, Preble Street has become the hub of programs for the most vulnerable and underserved residents of Portland.
Sock It to Homelessness
According to the Preble Street Resource Center socks are one of the most needed items that the homeless ask for during the winter months. If each person brings in just one pair of socks each Sunday during the month of February imagine how many people would be able to help. The socks need to be new and they can be either for men or women. There will be a barrel in the lobby to put the donated socks in. Let’s fill the barrel to the rim.
10 years-ago when we were at the Old Baptist Church we collected a mile of socks that we laid along the road from the church to the Salmon Falls bridge. It was quite a sight to see and we got a lot of publicity.
Let’s urge family and friends to join in our efforts to help the homeless.
Your Missions Committee: Wanda Rounds, Judy Sjulander, Gloria Stevens
As ideas for a more unified community resource center emerged, Preble Street launched a unique collaborative partnership of private and public agencies working together to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the homeless and low-income residents of Greater Portland, consolidating three soup kitchens, a food pantry, the City of Portland Homeless Healthcare Clinic, a day shelter, social services, a housing location program, and a homelessness prevention program.
This model was replicated in 1996 at the Teen Center and expanded to include overnight shelters for homeless youth and women in 2004 and 2007, respectively. The first permanent low-barrier supportive housing for chronically homeless adults in Maine, Logan Place, was opened in 2005, as well as casework support for previously homeless families in community–based housing.
Today, Preble Street has become the hub of programs for the most vulnerable and underserved residents of Portland.
Sock It to Homelessness
According to the Preble Street Resource Center socks are one of the most needed items that the homeless ask for during the winter months. If each person brings in just one pair of socks each Sunday during the month of February imagine how many people would be able to help. The socks need to be new and they can be either for men or women. There will be a barrel in the lobby to put the donated socks in. Let’s fill the barrel to the rim.
10 years-ago when we were at the Old Baptist Church we collected a mile of socks that we laid along the road from the church to the Salmon Falls bridge. It was quite a sight to see and we got a lot of publicity.
Let’s urge family and friends to join in our efforts to help the homeless.
Your Missions Committee: Wanda Rounds, Judy Sjulander, Gloria Stevens