Unity Barn Raisers recently was awarded three grants to support its food access and educational programing in the Unity area. The awards are from John T. Gorman Foundation, Maine Community Foundation and Inland Hospital, according to news release from the organization.
The John T. Gorman Foundation’s $12,000 grant will support the gleaning program, Triplet Park community garden, working with the local health clinic to screen patients for food insecurity, and coordinating nutrition and cooking classes at the Unity Community Center, targeted at low income and elderly residents.
Maine Community Foundation’s grant award of $4,590 will help expand the gleaning program, which redirects unused food into hunger relief programs Last year, UBR redirected 12,000 pounds of food, mainly fruits and vegetables, to the food pantry, soup kitchen and local drop off sites.
Lastly, Inland Hospital’s grant award of $1,395 will support the expansion of the perennial fruit garden at Triplet Park. This includes purchasing strawberry plants, raspberry and blueberry bushes, as well as volunteer recruitment for maintaining the park.
“Maine citizens are lucky to have community minded foundations and partners such as John T. Gorman, Maine Community Foundation, and Inland Hospital that make our programming possible. These partners recognize the challenges that every day citizens face and the key role that organizations, such as Unity Barn Raisers, play in improving quality of life for Mainers” said Mary Leaming of Unity Barn Raisers, according to the release.
Unity Barn Raisers relies on volunteer power in their gleaning program and community garden. For volunteer opportunities, contact Leaming at programs@unitybarnraisers.org or 948-9005.
Unity Barn Raisers works pro-actively to enhance small-town character and rural environment, while nurturing a thriving community-based economy. UBR believes that a community working together can shape its own future, and in so doing, significantly advance the quality of life of its people, both now and for generations to come.
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