Dear Friends and Supporters of Cooking for Community,

In March of 2020, at the very dawn of the Pandemic, we came together with a mission to nourish and comfort those in need by funding restaurants to cook nutritious meals. In those early weeks spent fervently developing our model and gathering our team, we couldn’t have imagined the final cumulative depth and breadth of our impact.

What started as a volunteer-driven, pandemic response raised over $1,000,000 and provided more than 100,000 meals by partnering with restaurants and social service agencies to get the food where it was most needed. Together we put Mainers back to work, fed the hungry, and supported those who serve our community. To everyone who gave of your time, your funds, your knowledge, and your enthusiasm — thank you. The success of these efforts would not have been possible without you.

“The community synergy that Cooking for Community visualized, and realized,
was a palpable force that generated outcomes that were exponentially greater
than just the tally of additional meals served and food boxes delivered.”
— Brian Townsend, Amistad

And now, with the shifting pandemic landscape, the time has come for us to close down Cooking for Community. We could not be more proud of what we accomplished. And, we are confident our legacy will live on. We trust that our remarkable vision and success will inspire others to reach for creative and cooperative solutions to future urgent needs.

While our time has passed, the work of feeding the hungry is more important than ever. The underserved and unsheltered in our community continue to need tremendous support. We urge you to honor what you helped build with Cooking for Community by supporting the many local organizations working tirelessly to nourish those in need. If you would like specific direction on how you can help, please feel free to email us at info@cookingforcommunity.org. 

We hope you will remember and share what we created together and continue to inspire and motivate others.

In gratitude,

York-Chi  Ian  Beth 
Kris  Elizabeth  Caroline
Ellie  Nancy  Leslie