40 Under 40: Shannon Coffin helps address food insecurity in Maine

Photo / Tim Greenway Shannon Coffin, 39: Vice president of community partnerships, Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine

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Shannon Coffin, 39 Vice president of community partnerships, Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine Read all about the 40 Under 40 honorees
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Greatest achievement: Helping grow Maine’s school food pantry network from concept to reaching 5,000 families at 150 schools across every county — while centering under-resourced and rural communities and building genuine partnerships grounded in dignity, trust and mutual respect.

Passion project: I’ve always loved creative writing and uncovering the untold (or half-told) stories of women. Lately, I’ve been weaving both into a novel about five generations of Maine matriarchs navigating family, identity and agency. It’s been a labor of love for years, and I’m now three-quarters through a first draft.

Lightbulb moment: Early in my career, I realized that food banking isn’t just about moving food — it’s about changing systems. That shift from “charity” to “justice” changed how I approach everything: from policy work and grantmaking to how I show up in my community.

Influential book: “Sacred Instructions,” by Sherri Mitchell. Sherri is an Indigenous attorney, activist and author from the Penobscot Nation whose work reshaped how I think about justice, community and interconnectedness.

Favorite TV show: “Loot,” starring Maya Rudolph as a famously wealthy divorcee philanthropist, turns into a nonprofit workplace comedy — and it was such fun to see our sector reflected with humor and heart.

Personal hero: My mother, who believed in me so thoroughly I grew up never questioning I could be whatever I wanted to be.

Favorite quote: “Women should be allies, not competitors.” — Ani DiFranco

Best way to recharge: I write, read voraciously, explore Maine’s trails and lakes with my family and experiment in the kitchen with local, seasonal foods.

Maine’s biggest challenge: Our systems continuously under-invest in youth — particularly in rural communities, communities of color and families facing generational poverty. That lack of investment hurts us all and will continue to compound until we choose to do better.

Dinner party guests: Isabel Allende, bell hooks and my Meme — to hear the conversation that unfolds about what it means to love with everything you have.