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September 21, 2023 2023 Giving Guide

Full Plates Full Potential

2024 Goals

This year, Full Plates Full Potential will get one step closer to making itself obsolete by advocating for and investing in systemic change that will put an end to childhood food insecurity in Maine.

We’ll do this by:

  • Continuing to partner with policy makers, school districts, staff, students and community leaders to strengthen our local food systems;
  • Providing training and technical assistance, and more than $700K in grants directly to schools and nutrition programs;
  • Beginning the five-year process to manage and distribute $8.5 million in available USDA funds to get more local ingredients into school meals; and
  • Leading policy change efforts, public awareness campaigns, youth engagement work, and more to ensure all kids have consistent access to nourishing, healthy meals.

Fundraising events/Opportunities

Hot Lunch Special: Between April and June of 2024

Join us for a ticketed fundraiser with live auction to support the Full Plates mission of creating systemic change to end childhood food insecurity.

Beneficiary Events

Full Plates welcomes third parties and businesses who wish to host fundraisers benefiting our organization. For more information, or to access our beneficiary event toolkit, please contact Keirstin Salisbury at ksalisbury@fullplates.org.

Giving Opportunities

FEED KIDS & Corporate Giving

Businesses across Maine are committing to the idea that no child should grow up hungry. The FEED KIDS cause marketing initiative is designed to make it easy for businesses of all sizes, sectors, and locations to take action toward ending childhood food insecurity. Full Plates invests contributions into child nutrition programs across Maine, putting our partners’ generosity into action without delay. Learn more at fullplates.org/feed-kids-sign-up.

Individual Support

Ending childhood food insecurity in Maine is possible, but only if we all take action. Full Plates relies on philanthropic support from individuals, as well as organizations, to achieve our mission. One-time and multi-year investment opportunities are available at any time of year, in addition to traditional fundraising appeals that take place several times annually to support critical programs. Learn more at fullplates.org/ways-you-can-help.

Volunteer Opportunities

Full Plates is not a direct service organization and therefore does not have traditional volunteer opportunities, but we need your voice! We challenge individuals and businesses to amplify the issue of childhood hunger and Full Plates’ strategies to solve it. Share our work on your social media channels. Encourage your employees/employer and/or those you do business with to join the cause. Invite your friends, followers, and clients to make a donation to help support Maine kids.

Looking for other ways to get involved? Likeminded organizations with volunteer opportunities may include:

  • Your local school district
  • Youthful Maine (Biddeford)
  • The Locker Project (South Portland)
  • Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (Portland)
  • Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program (Brunswick)
  • Good Shepherd Food Bank (Auburn or Hampden)

Leadership

Justin Strasburger Executive Director

 

Laura Pineo, Board Chair: School Nutrition Director, MSAD 54 (retired)

 

Board officers

Laura Pineo, Chair, Retired School Nutrition Director, RSU 54/MSAD 54 School District

Julie Butcher Pezzino, Vice Chair, Executive Director, Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine

Justin Alfond, Treasurer, Co-Founder, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Chelsey Carrier, Secretary, Attorney and Mediator

Board Members

Khadija Ahmed, Entrepreneur, Chef, Nonprofit Founder and Equity and Impact Manager, Good Shepherd Food Bank

Stephanie Cesario-DeBiasi, Program Officer, Maine Community Foundation

Molly Clark, Co-owner, Cold Spring Ranch

Kevin Concannon, Former USDA Under Secretary, USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Michaela Goodwin, CTO, VETRO Inc.

Ericka Katz, Director of External Communications and Community Relations, Hannaford Supermarkets

Jeanne LaPointe, School Nutrition Director, RSU 10

Ryan Parker, FoodCorps Impact and Partnership Leads, Maine, FoodCorps

David Pease, Director – Talent, Diversity and Inclusion, Bangor Savings Bank

Diane Woods, Business Management Consultant

At a Glance

Established: 2015

Employees: 9

Annual revenue: $1,210,440

Top funding sources

59% Individual donors

29% Institutional giving

11% FEED KIDS cause marketing

1% Events

Contact

14 Maine St., Box 3, Brunswick, ME 04011

www.fullplates.org

Facebook/Instagram: @FullPlatesFullPotential

Awards/Accolades

2023: One of four organizations nationwide awarded $10 million USDA Healthy Meals Incentive Cooperative Agreement to transform school meals through local food

2022: Food Research & Action Center Anti-Hunger Champion of the Year

Maine Public Health Association Public Health Policy Champion Award

Maine Nutrition Council Katherine O. Musgrave Public Service Award

2021: Authored and championed passage of landmark School Meals For All legislation in Maine.

Mission Statement

Full Plates Full Potential is an advocate for systemic change to end childhood food insecurity in Maine, partnering with schools, policy makers, communities and front-line professionals to ensure all Maine children have access to nutritious food where they live, learn and play.

Service locations

Full Plates Full Potential serves all 16 of Maine’s counties.