2021 Goals
Full Plates Full Potential continues to work with schools and nonprofit organizations to increase participation in child nutrition programs, removing barriers that children face in accessing healthy meals. This effort is profoundly impacted by the pandemic – both in urgency and ever-increasing need. Child nutrition programs across Maine are uniquely affected by COVID-19 and Full Plate’s goal is to support them in ensuring that students’ nutritional needs are met. Feeding children during a global health crisis is complicated, requiring flexibility and creativity from teachers, parents, staff, administration, and students. Newly imagined learning and afterschool care environments, designed to accommodate pandemic protocols, are incurring new costs that require more funding for equipment and supplies like food carts, tents, signage, kiosks, picnic tables, packaging, and PPE. A commitment from Maine’s business community is essential in delivering nutrition continuity for our youngest neighbors. In addition to working with our partners on the frontlines of child nutrition, Full Plates Full Potential advocates at the state and federal levels for public policy that helps kids and families during this crisis.
Fundraising events/Opportunities
Cause Marketing: FEED KIDS invites purpose-driven businesses to take action towards ending child hunger in Maine by leveraging their brand to raise funds and awareness for the cause. FEED KIDS partners are a part of a powerful movement that gets us ever closer to ensuring that no Maine child grows up hungry.
Giving Opportunities
Core Partners: Full Plates collaborates with Maine corporations and foundations whose social responsibility imperatives include hunger relief, education, and youth empowerment. One-time and multi-year investments through core-partnerships are customizable to meet mutual goals and objectives.
Fall 2020 School Meals Campaign: Pandemic protocols have increased expenses for school meal service while the need for these nutrition programs is SKYROCKETING. A 40% increase is predicted by year’s end – that’s more than 100,000 Maine kids struggling with hunger. Give at fullplates.org.
Ambassador: Lend us your voice. When someone learns the story of child hunger in Maine, they’re motivated to take action. Full Plates challenges businesses and the professionals within them to amplify the issue of childhood food insecurity and Full Plates’ strategy to solve it.
Volunteer Opportunities
Though Full Plates Full Potential’s solutions strategy doesn’t lend itself to traditional, direct-support volunteerism opportunities – beyond helping to execute events, which are on hold due to coronavirus, they’re always recruiting influencers! Too many Maine children are struggling with hunger and it’s a crisis that is often not known or seen by those who have the capacity to effect change.
Share Full Plates’ work on your social media channels. Encourage your employer and businesses you frequent to become a FEED KIDS partner. Invite your friends, followers, and clients to make a donation and a difference for Maine kids who are counting on us to solve this urgent and solvable problem. Support school nutrition programs in your community by making administrators aware of Full Plates resources.
