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Sponsored by: Locker Project
Updated: September 26, 2022 2022 Giving Guide

Locker Project

2023 Goals

Children need a diet rich in nutrients, including fresh fruits and vegetables, to grow, learn and thrive.

Goal 1: Build nutrition security among Greater Portland children and families by sharing more than half a million pounds of fresh produce and healthy staples each year. We partner with more than 45 schools and agencies to reach families who lack reliable access to nutrient-dense food. We share a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, bread, meat and staples, including items culturally important to New Mainers. The Locker Project is a last-mile program—we share healthy food at convenient locations, including schools, parks and community centers, to reduce the obstacles families face to being well-nourished. We source produce and staples from Good Shepherd Food Bank, including locally grown produce from Mainers Feeding Mainers. We rescue fresh food from local markets—about 200,000 pounds each year—that would otherwise go to waste.

Goal 2: Increase awareness of the critical role childhood nutrition plays in the health and well-being of Maine families. Our e-newsletters and social media channels provide information about child hunger and nutrition along with updates on our programs and the communities we serve. Our fresh food programs provide children with early exposure to the nutrient-dense foods they need. Our community-based events engage kids and families in discussions with staff and volunteers about healthy diets.

Fundraising/Event Opportunities

To meet the growing need for fresh food among the families we serve, we are moving to a larger space in South Portland in September 2022. Our goal is to raise $60,000 for site improvements, including a new 288-square-foot walk-in cooler for produce and dairy, and freezers for bread and meat.

School-Year Pantry Sponsorships: Businesses can sponsor the Locker Project in a Portland, South Portland, or Westbrook school by donating $1,500 or more. Sponsorship funds defray the costs of procuring and distributing healthy food and coordinating the program.

Welcome to the Table: In May 2022, we published our first cookbook, featuring recipes from Westbrook community members. Donors can request a cookbook for themselves, and we’ll give one to a family at risk of hunger.

Giving Opportunities

Participate in our Annual Appeal and #GivingTuesday: Each November, community members support our child hunger relief programs for the upcoming year by making a donation and/or hosting a food drive.

Become a Community Partner: Businesses who donate $500 (or the in-kind equivalent) enjoy acknowledgement on our website and social media and in our monthly newsletter for two years.

Join our Booster Club by committing to a monthly donation of any amount.

Volunteer Opportunities

For regular updates on ways to get involved, go to mainelockerproject.org and sign up to receive our e-newsletter. We have 100-plus active (and truly amazing!) volunteers who gather, transport, sort, and/or pack healthy food for distribution. Volunteers also help host our school- and community-based events, where kids and families can “shop” for fresh produce, meat and bread. Initial volunteer inquiry is through our website. After a brief orientation, we provide the link to our Signup Genius page, where volunteers can choose specific opportunities. Join us!

Leadership

Board officers

Kathryn Sargent: Executive Director

 

Sarah Daignault: President

 

Gretchen Williams, Board Vice President: Account Strategist, Garrand Moehlenkamp

Marie Boneparth, Board Secretary: Doctor of Physical Therapy, Jade Integrated Health

Matthew Heffernan, Board Treasurer: Business Analyst

 

Board members

Tiffanie Bentley: Dean of Administration, Southern Maine Community College

Wendy Cherubini: Retired Contract Manager

Maureen FitzGerald: Retired Youth Running Coach

Catherine Haas: Social Worker

Naomi Neville: National Sales Director, Allagash Brewing Co.

Jane Winarta: Community Health Promotion Specialist–Nutrition Educator, City of Portland Public Health

At a glance

Established: 2014

Employees: 6

Annual revenue: $494,491 (plus $679,915 in donated food)

Top funding sources

65% Foundations

23% Individuals

12% Corporate partnerships

Contact

P.O. Box 3134, Portland, ME 04104

111 Wescott Road, South Portland, ME 04106.

https://www.mainelockerproject.org

https://www.facebook.com/mainelockerproject

https://www.instagram.com/lockerprojectmaine

Mission Statement

The Locker Project connects food-insecure children in Maine with nourishing food to improve their learning capacity, health, and future. We take a whole-family approach to child hunger with programs that strive to be low-barrier, stigma-free and environmentally responsible.

Service locations

Cumberland County, primarily Portland, South Portland and Westbrook.