As Good Shepherd Food Bank braces for a huge loss in food provided by the USDA, Sen. Angus King is calling for distributions to be reinstated and answers on why deliveries are being reduced.
food insecurity
Posted inLocal & State, Nation & World, News, Politics
King, Pingree demand answers on why USDA cut local food programs
Sen. Angus King joins dozens of Senate colleagues in calling for the funding to be restored.
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Posted inLocal & State, Nation & World, News
USDA cuts programs that supply local food to schools, food banks
The federal agency canceled contracts to continue providing food and funding to Maine schools and nonprofits for 3 more years. The change comes as one in eight Mainers — about 180,000 people — faces hunger. That includes roughly 45,000 children, about 20% of the state’s total population under 18.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Schools and Education
Cutting funding for school meals would be devastating for Maine children, advocates say
House Republicans are considering cutting the number of schools that qualify for free breakfast and lunch. The move could have a huge impact in Maine, which has the highest rate of childhood hunger in New England.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Schools and Education
Summer meals programs gets food to thousands of Maine kids, but barriers remain
Each summer, thousands of free meals are handed out to children across Maine, but hunger prevention advocates say more flexibility would allow more families to access the food they need.
Posted inLocal & State, Schools and Education
Maine agencies get $7.4 million federal grant, including meat processor in Unity
The money will be invested in 7 projects aimed at getting more local ingredients in Maine’s school lunches and improving food system practices.
Posted inAmy Calder, Local & State, Morning Sentinel
Reporting Aside: He’s 82, homeless, has lived in his van for 8 years
The man has everything he needs, including a bed, a thick wool blanket, a solar panel and insulation for his windows, Amy Calder writes.
Posted inLocal & State
More than half of food-insecure Mainers can’t get food stamps
More Maine households are relying on the state’s network of food pantries and meal programs to bring home enough groceries to feed their families, according to Good Shepherd Food Bank.
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: Maine needs to get serious about addressing food waste
It’s hard to accept we’re wasting so much food when so many people are struggling with hunger. A proven solution beckons.
Posted inAmy Calder, Columns, Local & State, Morning Sentinel
Reporting Aside: Waterville church offers soup, sandwich and kindness
The Evening Sandwich Program in the basement of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Waterville is a lifeline for Terri Cashman, 42, and her husband, who live in a garage.