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The Locker Project helps ensure food security for children by providing class-time snacks and healthy foods they can take home for the times they are most likely to experience hunger—in the evening, over weekends, and during school breaks. We take a whole-family approach to child hunger with programs that strive to be low barrier, stigma-free, and environmentally responsible.

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With the help of our many community partners, the Locker Project distributes staples and rescued fresh food to children and their families at 24 schools and neighborhood sites in Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, and Saco. We rescue fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and breads from Rosemont Markets, Standard Baking Company, Hannaford supermarkets in West Falmouth and Scarborough, and Shaw’s Northgate in Portland. Good Shepherd Food Bank provides access to discounted foods for 12 of our program sites. South Portland Food Cupboard supports our efforts in two South Portland schools with dry goods, snacks, and fresh produce. During the growing season, local farmers and community gardeners share their surplus produce.

Fresh food distributions. We rescue more than 13,000 pounds of fresh food from local grocers and markets each month and distribute them in “free farmers market”-style events at program sites on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis.

Click here for our Fresh Food Event calendar.

Locker Project school pantries. We fill the shelves at our school pantries with healthy meal items and snacks that are either donated through community food drives or purchased in bulk.

GSFB-partner school pantries. Through our partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank, we enable eligible schools to access discounted healthy meal items, snacks, and produce from the food bank for their on-site pantries. We subsidize their purchases and also supplement their pantries with items from our warehouse.