MEALS FOR MAINE - 250,000 meals for our neighbors in need!

Bret Raymond is organizing this fundraiser to benefit The Pack Shack.

Tax deductible

We all love our community and want everyone to thrive!

However, there are a lot of people struggling to make ends meet, and many people - about 1 in 6 Mainers - are affected by food insecurity. And it's not getting easier. Persistent inflation and the end of some food assistance benefits have driven up food insecurity, and recent changes are expected to push food prices even higher nationwide.

You're feeling it at the grocery store, yes?

This will be the third consecutive year that MEALS FOR MAINE will be hosted by the University of New England. In 2023, the community came together to pack 52,000 meals (watch the recap video). In 2024, we packed a whopping 103,000 meals.

“One of the things I love about UNE is our commitment to civic engagement,” said UNE President James Herbert, Ph.D. “The fact that we put together something like this and so many people show up … It goes to show the Nor'easter spirit is about trying to do our part to make the world a better place and to address critical issues that we face right here in Maine, regionally, nationally, and internationally.”

Let's unite as neighbors and as a community to provide 250,000 delicious, healthy, easy to prepare meals for individuals, families, and households affected by food insecurity. The meals we pack will stay local and be given free to charge to nonprofits in our community!

Some of the nonprofits in Maine that will receive meals are:

Biddeford Food Pantry

Good Shepherd Food Bank

South Portland Food Cupboard

We're partnering once again with The Pack Shack, a nonprofit that brings people together for crazy fun Feed the Funnel parties to pack thousands of meals for neighbors in need across the country. They'll bring everything we need to pack 250,000 Modern Louisiana Style Red Beans & Rice meals. These meals are healthy - we're talking plant based, clean label, allergen free, gluten free and dairy free - and they're super easy to prepare by cooking in boiling water for 20 minutes. The taste?! So amazing! Delicious and no chemicals or artificial anything! Learn more about the meals here .

MEALS FOR MAINE will take place on UNE's Portland and Biddeford campuses on Wednesday, September 17th. There will be two shifts each day, and sign ups will open on August 1st.

PACKING 250,000 MEALS REQUIRES $99,500.

This budget includes:

Ingredients (long grain white rice, dehydrated red beans, dried bell peppers and Louisiana Style seasoning),
Packaging (bags and boxes),
Equipment (Funnels, cups, scoops, scales, heat sealers, bins, baskets, trays and stands),
Supplies (hairnets, beard nets, gloves, hand wipes, scissors, tape and tape guns),
Personnel (team members from The Pack Shack) and
Logistics (getting everything from The Pack Shack to Jackson).

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:

Donate. We need the funding to pack the meals. Who can donate? Individuals, businesses, faith based groups, schools, civic groups ... you get the picture! What happens if we don't reach the goal? We'll pack what we can with the funding received.
Pack meals. Once we know how many meals we can pack for our community, we'll create a sign up where you can claim your spot to help pack meals. More funding means more spots will be available!
Receive meals. If your organization provides food assistance, contact us to see how you can receive meals to get to our neighbors in need.
Spread the word. Share this opportunity at work, school, in your neighborhood, among your friends, and at your place of worship. We can't wait to see community come together to reach our goal of 250,000 meals! Thank you!

CURRENT SUPPORTERS INCLUDE:

University of New England

Americorps

9/11 Day