How Farm to School and Anti-Hunger Advocates Passed Healthy School Meals for All in Maine

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.

Full Plates Full Potential awarded $10 million to bring local ingredients to school menus

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….

Bill would require Maine schools to allow students 30 minutes to eat lunch

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…

Free school lunches in Maine alleviate food insecurity and tap into local sources

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…

Educators say free meals have changed attitudes in Maine’s school cafeterias

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,…

Nearly $375K Awarded to Maine Summer Meals Programs

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…

Plate the State: Universal Free Lunch in Maine

Values in Action: Centering Student Voice

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…

In a Small Island in Maine, Heroes Serve School Meals

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…

After growing up hungry in Portland, Cognac entrepreneurs help fight food insecurity in Maine

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: Maine’s Roadmap to End Hunger by 2030

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…

Breakfast After the Bell: MSAD 60

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…