Wednesday, March 31, 2021
11:59 p.m.
Good Shepherd Food Bank recognizes that poverty and food insecurity disproportionately impact people of color, and is committed to leveraging its power as the largest hunger-relief organization in the state to redistribute resources directly to organizations and coalitions committed to meeting the needs of immigrants, refugees, Indigenous communities, and communities of color.
The grant committee will be comprised of GSFB program staff and previous Community Redistribution Fund grantees. As of March 3, Grant Committee members include:
Juan Jose Castillo, COVID-19 Support Coordinator, Mano en Mano
Mufalo Chitam, Executive Director, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
Aoife Dowd, Community Redistribution Fund, Good Shepherd Food Bank
Jessica Gildea, Community Redistribution Fund, Good Shepherd Food Bank
Fatuma Hussein, Executive Director, Immigrant Resource Center of Maine
Fenton Jones, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Border Towns
Alivia Moore, Co-Founder, Eastern Woodlands Rematriation Collective
Claudette Ndayininahaze, Founder, In Her Presence
To learn more about the Community Redistribution Fund read our blog posts, here.
For questions about the grant program and application, please contact Meg Taft: mtaft@gsfb.org
| Grantee | Service Area | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Immigrant Resource Center of Maine (formerly United Somali Women of Maine) | Cumberland County, Lewiston | Provide culturally relevant food |
| Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC) | Cumberland County, Lewiston, Augusta, Saco/Biddeford, Millbridge | Provide culturally relevant food |
| United Youth Empowerment Services & Masjid Al Salaam | Lewiston | Support a new food pantry at Masjid Al Salaam on Bartlett Street in Lewiston |
| Golden Opportunity | Lewiston/Auburn | Support the distribution of culturally relevant food to elderly and disabled Somali community members in the greater Lewiston/Auburn area |
| Capital Area New Mainers Project | Augusta/Central Maine | Support the distribution of Eid boxes for families in the greater Augusta area |
| Mano en Mano | Downeast | Support the distribution of culturally-specific boxes of food both for families that live year-round in the region and for single migrant workers who are arriving in May for blueberries and seafood processing |
| Angolan Community of Maine (ACM) | Statewide | Support the purchase and delivery of culturally relevant foods from locally owned businesses, to community members in Greater Portland, Mid Coast, and Androscoggin counties |
| Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township | Indian Township, Washington County | Increase availability of traditionally cultivated, culturally-relevant foods for community members reliant on the food pantry |
| Eastern Woodlands Rematriation | Wabanaki communities, Northern Maine | Support food sovereignty projects that focus on traditionally cultivated foods, and distribution of traditional foods from Wabanaki producers for distributions through tribal food pantries |
| Wabanaki Public Health | Wabanaki communities, Northern Maine | Support the distribution of traditional fresh and foraged foods and clean water to tribal communities without clean drinking water |
| Micmac Farms | Micmac communities, Aroostook County | Support the distribution of Food Sovereignty boxes, filled with foods produced by Native American producers, to families within the Aroostook Band of Micmacs |
| Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point | Pleasant Point, Washington County | Support the construction of a greenhouse used to grow culturally-specific foods for community members |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Border Towns | Aroostook & Washington Counties | Support the preparation and distribution of traditional Sipayik & Maliseet meals to youth and families |
| In Her Presence | Cumberland County | Support the distribution of culturally relevant food to immigrant women and children throughout Cumberland County |
| Cumberland County Food Security Council | Cumberland County/statewide | Support the production and processing of Maine-raised halal meat at Ummah Farm in Turner |
| South Sudanese Community Association | Statewide | Support the distribution and delivery of culturally relevant foods to elders in the South Sudanese community statewide |
| Presente Maine | Statewide | Support The Food Brigade, which distributes fresh foods straight to Latinx community members statewide who are most vulnerable, least connected, least resourced, and at highest risk |
| New England Arab American Organization | Statewide | Support the purchase and delivery of Halal meats and other foods for Middle Eastern and Northern African community members in Cumberland County, Biddeford, and Augusta |
| Congolese Community of Maine | Statewide | Support the distribution of culturally specific foods sourced from immigrant-owned businesses to Congolese community members statewide |
| Isuken Co-op | Lewiston | Support the distribution of prepared meals during Ramadan |
| AK Health and Social Services | To support immigrant families of the Islamic faith by providing access to culturally specific food and produce during Ramadan | |
| Azerbaijan Society of Maine | To support the purchase of culturally appropriate food to be packed and delivered to families in low-income housing complexes in the greater Portland area | |
| Black Owned Maine | To support the expansion of nutritional access through the sponsorship of the cost of CSA memberships, delivery, and farm vouchers for Black families | |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Border Towns Presque Isle | Aroostook County | To support a full-time Culinary Mentor to provide access to healthy food service, cooking classes, and distributing culturally relevant foods to Wabanaki youth across four sites in Aroostook county |
| Gateway Community Services Maine | Androscoggin and Cumberland Counties | • To increase the availability of culturally specific food access to a total of 60 New Mainer families in both the greater Portland and Lewiston areas |
| Greater Portland Family Promise | To increase access to culturally important foods for asylum-seeking immigrant families through a community-led initiative in tandem with the inter-faith community and Fresh Food for All African Mobile Market | |
| Isuken Coop | To support the distribution of culturally appropriate meals to the elderly and low-income families | |
| Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services | To provide weekly distributions of culturally relevant foods and access to vouchers at immigrant-owned stores to families | |
| Mawita'nej Epij'ij | To offer a separate private space for Wabanaki people to cultivate food and a relationship to the land safely | |
| Multicultural Community and Family Support Services | Androscoggin County | To enhance their Pandemic Food Security Program in Lewiston-Auburn by expanding storage and transportation capacity, better access to culturally specific foods and ingredients, relationship building, and more accessible distributions from their site. |
| Somali Bantu Community Association | To support the expansion and building of a Halal slaughter station at SBCA's Wales farm property to diversify the halal options that Somali Bantu refugees in central Maine can access | |
| Sustainable Livelihoods Relief Organization | Androscoggin County | To support the distribution of hot meals during Ramadan to immigrant families, Elders and community members in Lewiston-Auburn |