Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** mid coast hunger prevention program…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** mid coast hunger prevention program (MCHPP) is the largest food security agency in the midcoast maine region. MCHPP's newest initiative, the community kitchen, results from extensive research, including widespread community outreach, internal evaluation, and a community food assessment performed by merrymeeting food council (2018-2019). Maine has set a goal of ending hunger by 2030, and the six new england states have set the target of increasing our regional food self-reliance, such that 30% of the food consumed in new england will be grown in new england by 2030. The community food grant meets the community kitchens's goals through expanded collaboration with farmers and food processors, reducing food insecurity, and supporting the regional food economy. The community kitchen project makes a commercial kitchen facility available for the community to use at no charge or a competitive rate. MCHPP will partner with the merrymeeting food council and a third-party evaluation service to collect and produce data/results to help inform our target audience. The project will serve as a model for other organizations in maine and beyond that are interested in addressing local food system shortages. The community kitchen will increase the amount of local produce available for food-insecure individuals, reduce farm waste by gleaning food, create new revenue streams for farmers by processing excess and blemished commodities into value-added products, make kitchen space available to startup food businesses, and open space for meal preparation and cooking classes.?