National Farm to School NetworkMay 2023 “Who’s At the Table? A Case Study of LD 1679” by the National Farm to School Network details the work of Full Plates and its coalition of partners to pass Healthy School Meals for All in Maine. Read the full report below.
By Gillian Graham, Portland Press HeraldMarch 23, 2023 Full Plates Full Potential has been awarded $10 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to dramatically increase the use of local ingredients in school meals and ensure school nutrition workers have the skills and equipment needed to use them….
By Joe Lawlor, Portland Press HeraldMarch 22, 2023 Advocates urged lawmakers Wednesday to pass a bill mandating 30-minute lunch periods for Maine’s K-12 students, saying schools that provide 20 minutes or less are not giving students enough time to eat and are contributing to food waste. And, they…
Maine CallingOctober 24, 2022 During the pandemic, school lunches across the country were paid for by the federal government–but that ended in September. Maine is one of the only states that is continuing the free school breakfast and lunch program. We’ll talk with school nutrition experts about how…
By Robbie Feinberg, Maine PublicAugust 26, 2022 When the pandemic upended schools two years ago, the federal government took the step of providing universal school meal waivers nationwide, in effect making meals free for every child. This fall, those waivers are ending. But a few states, including Maine,…
July 6, 2022 Full Plates Full Potential awarded $374,488 in funding through its 2022 Summer Meals Grant program to 53 school districts and community organizations across Maine. Since Summer 2020, the organization has granted out over $1.2M cumulatively in Summer Meals Grants to meet the needs of program…
By Jenn So, Full Plates Program DirectorApril 7, 2022 It has long been Full Plates Full Potential’s ambition to center the voices of those who are the most impacted by childhood hunger—the students themselves—in our work. We believe that truly transformative outcomes that center equity must be directly…
By Diego Alonso, No Kid HungryMarch 21, 2022 Deer Isle-Stonington is a small island off the shores of Maine connected to the mainland only by a narrow suspension bridge. For generations, the community has relied on lobstering and seafaring as the main source of income. Sheila Nevells, food…
By Tim Cebula, Portland Press HeraldMarch 7, 2022 Kevin Ly, the 34-year-old founding partner of Golden Wat cognac, has a good life now, by all accounts. He’s a successful entrepreneur who earned a graduate business degree, then launched a multinational liquor brand in 2020. He’s also a family…
Everyone at the Table is the result of a two year-long collaboration among many Maine partners and stakeholders in the hunger relief space. Prioritizing the voices of those with lived and living experience of poverty and food insecurity, the recommendations are a direct result of centering communities and…
In the fall and winter of the 2021-22 school year, Full Plates awarded 19 Breakfast Grants, totaling $71,334 in funding. Additionally, we partnered with Maine’s Department of Education to disperse $21,528 of federal funds to 10 more schools. Our grant program and these federal funds prioritize Breakfast After…