CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Runners from Maine and across the world will soon take their marks at the starting line in Cape Elizabeth for the 26th annual TD Beach to Beacon 10K on Saturday.
This year, Preble Street Teen Services was selected as the race beneficiary. Its mission is to support Maine teens and break the cycle of youth homelessness while providing shelter, food, mental health resources, and other services.
NEWS CENTER Maine learned that more than $140,000 has already been donated to the organization. Leaders with Preble Street will be at the race at Fort Williams Park Saturday, collecting donations and raising awareness about its programs. Mainers can also donate to Preble Street here.
The services help support more than 350 young people across Maine, and Preble Street will soon begin construction on a new state-of-the-art facility in Portland to provide 24/7 support to runaway or homeless youth, according to the organization.
Preble Street also provides several other programs and services for Mainers in need. The dedication of local volunteers plays a huge role in its mission.
Linda Holtslander retired to Peaks Island seven years ago, and most days she wakes up early to catch the 6:15 a.m. ferry to Portland to volunteer at Preble Street's Food Security Hub in South Portland, where 2,000 meals are prepared every day.
Holtslander wanted to volunteer at Preble Street after learning about the wide range of services it provides.
“It felt good and felt like the right thing to do," she said. “It’s good to see people care and want to help".
Enough people on the island know where Holtslander volunteers that she says locals know they can drop off donated clothes or shoes on her porch and she'll bring them to Preble Street the next morning.
While Holtslander can typically be found with the food prep team, leaders at Preble Street say if you volunteer at any location, you're bound to meet her eventually.
“It’s great to know that we can count on people like Linda to fulfill our tasks for the day so we can feed people and make sure everybody’s basic needs are met," Elisa Fleig, the organization's volunteer program manager, said.
Preble Street's senior director of communications, Danielle Smaha, added that volunteers provide a critical role at the food security hub.
“Knowing that we have that reliable support means that we can do what we have to get done," she explained.
Holstlander was recently honored for her hard work by the New England Patriots Foundation and the Kraft family as she was named as a 2024 Myra Kraft Community MVP Award Winner. She was honored with 25 other volunteers from around New England.
While the TD Beach to Beacon 10K takes place Saturday, there are events happening Friday at Fort Williams Park. The Kids' Fun Run starts at 4 p.m., followed by the Beacon Walk, Run, and Roll and the High School mile race, which will feature some of the top high school runners in the state.