THE GOOD NEWS: There is enough healthy food to nourish every child in Maine.
Learning capacity, school absenteeism, behavioral problems, and serious health issues among students can be addressed in large part simply by helping kids access the nutrition they need to thrive.
Through our partnerships with the Good Shepherd Food Bank, three school districts, the Opportunity Alliance, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, Portland Housing Authority, and other agencies as well as local markets, farmers and gardeners, the Locker Project is able to provide nutritious food to thousands of Greater Portland children to take home and share with their families.
Our Whole-Family Approach to Child Hunger:
- provides fresh produce, meat, bread, and healthy staples, covering the full range of essential nutrients
- ensures children become familiar with nutrient-dense foods early in life
- includes items culturally important to New Mainers like amaranth and rice
- stretches family food budgets, reducing stress and freeing up resources
- acknowledges parents as dietary role models who need healthy food, too.
Why do we provide food at school for students to take home?
- With federal school meals programs providing all children with school breakfast and lunch, the times children are most likely to go hungry are in the evenings, during weekends and over school breaks, including the summer months.
- Schools are the most convenient place for children to access healthy food that might not be available at home.