Marking Our 3-Month Milestone and Counting!
The start of April seems like several lifetimes ago. And in a way it was – especially for this scrappy little startup that dared to take on the question we were all asking in the face of the pandemic: How can I help?
The problems were wide-ranging: People were hungry. Restaurants were closing. Purveyors had lost much of their steady revenue sources. Social service agencies were struggling to feed those in need. How could a random group of volunteers come up with a solution that was challenging hunger professionals and experts across the region and the nation?
A little over three months later and 34,000 warm, nourishing meals and counting, we don’t claim to have all the answers, but we connected the dots and saw one solution: Raise funds to hire restaurants that need work to prepare meals for people who need food, using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. And partner with area agencies to make sure those meals go where they are most needed. The answer seemed almost too simple to work.
And yet, thanks to the generosity of some early funders and the determination of our first restaurant partners, we were able to serve 1,098 meals in the first two weeks. As word spread, demand increased. As demand increased, the need for organizational infrastructure grew. Almost magically, top fundraising, PR, design, finance, accounting, legal, and communications professionals appeared at our proverbial doorstep to volunteer their time and expertise. An advisory board of some of the most talented and influential professionals in the state was assembled. Structures were put in place. As our momentum grew, our grants and funding increased. More restaurants came on board. The media took notice. Our outreach grew, and more meals were served.
We currently partner with 12 restaurants and 9 social service agencies. We are holding steady at producing 2,300-2,500 meals a week. Despite the complexities of making all this happen, we remain an all-volunteer organization. Countless hours have been logged. There’s no chain of command or single decision maker. Obstacles are nimbly met and dealt with.
As a result, we have made an impact in our few short months:
Were able to provide 29 culturally appropriate meals daily with only 24 hours notice to seven families who were suddenly quarantined with no kitchen facilities.
To have several restaurant partners tell us the funds they received to cook for us were the only reason they were able to stay open.
Local produce that might otherwise have gone to waste was used in our meals.
And that we have been able to ease, at least in a small part, the burden our agency partners are shouldering trying to keep the most vulnerable in our community safe and fed.
Where are we going? How are we growing? We get these questions all of the time. The answers are both simple and complex, and largely unknowable. While part of the population might be looking forward to some return to normal as restrictions are loosened, for those who face food insecurity, the plight remains. Unless Congress acts, federal aid expires at the end of the month, putting a greater strain on those who have been put out of work. Inevitably, increasing numbers of Mainers will be hungry. Resources will be stretched. Our neighbors are going to need us more than ever.
Which is why we plan to forge ahead and continue to cultivate relationships in our community and work to meet fundraising goals. As we do, we will add to our partnerships and produce more meals. And we will continue to work to ensure that everyone in this beautiful, bountiful state we call home has a seat at the table.
