Questions?
Find answers below or use our contact form to reach out.
Click on Our Programs for information about our school programs and to view our fresh food event calendar. Note that the Locker Project is not a traditional food pantry, and we are not able or allowed to serve individuals at our warehouse location.
Yes, we provide food through all our programs and at our distribution sites free of charge.
There is no paperwork required or eligibility rules. Participation in our school- and agency-based programs is at the discretion of staff at partner organizations. All are welcome at our public fresh food events.
We are fortunate to partner with Good Shepherd Food Bank, which is part of the Feeding America network. Good Shepherd provides us with thousands of pounds of produce free of charge every week. We use monetary donations to purchase staples from the food bank at a discount to fill our purple bags and family boxes and to stock our school pantries.
Our team rescues fresh food that might otherwise go to waste from Shaw’s and Hannaford stores, Rosemont Markets, and Standard Baking Company. “Rescuing” food means that we pick up items that may not look perfect or may be nearing their sell-by date. We sort through these items at our warehouse to make sure they are still good to eat and offer them at our fresh food events. We compost any items not fit to eat.
During the growing season, we are able to purchase produce from local farmers through the Mainers Feeding Mainers program. Among our farm partners are the Somali Bantu Community Association’s Liberation Farms, Cultivating Community, Jordan’s Farm, Buckle Farm, and Pineland Farms. Some local farmers and community gardeners also donate their surplus produce. We partner with the Cumberland County Gleaners and others to access additional produce from local farms to share with children and families.
First-time volunteers should visit Volunteer with Us to fill out the volunteer signup form. Once it is submitted, you will receive a link to our Signup Genius and the list of available tasks. After you check the box for the slot of your choice, scroll down and click SUBMIT! Email volunteer@mainelockerproject.org with any questions or concerns.
Nutritious food, health and learning are inextricable: children need nourishment to grow and to learn. Research has consistently shown that when children are well-nourished they attend school more regularly, are better able to pay attention and learn, and are healthier overall.
Food insecurity is a long-standing issue that affects children and families across the state of Maine. The United Way’s ALICE project found that 40 percent of all children and 70 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds in the cities we serve live in households that cannot make ends meet. Greater Portland-area parents face extremely high costs for housing, child care, and transportation, which leaves too little available to purchase adequate amounts of expensive food items such as fresh fruits and vegetables. State education data indicate that more than half of the 12,000+ students who attend Greater Portland schools and preschools come from low-income families at risk of food insecurity.
Schools are a convenient place for children to access healthy food that might not be available at home.
While schools in Maine provide all students with weekday breakfast and lunch, thousands of children in Greater Portland are at risk of going hungry in the evenings, during weekends and over school breaks, including the summer months.
By partnering with the schools to send nutritious food home, we enable them to offer low-barrier assistance to students and their families.
Yes! We welcome individuals, businesses and community group partners who would like to support our program at the school in their neighborhood or where they have another connection. Check out our community partnership guidelines for more information.
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