Courtesy photo
Mark Swann, executive director of Preble Street
December 17, 2021
Preble Street launches $8M food security hub
Courtesy / Preble Street
Preble Street, a nonprofit human service agency, is launching an $8 million food security hub to address hunger in Maine.
By Jessica Hall
Community organization Preble Street is launching a new $8 million food security hub in South Portland in an effort to end food insecurity in Maine.
The new center will be located at 75 Darling Ave. in South Portland. When completed in 2023, the 30,000 square foot mixed-use space will function as an industrial kitchen, food processing center, educational and vocational site, office space and conference center.
Preble Street has received initial funding for the $8 million project from several organizations, including the Portland-based John T. Gorman Foundation, Maine's third-largest charitable foundation, according to the Mainebiz Book of Lists. The foundation provided a gift of $1 million, half of which has a matching requirement. Preble Street is looking to raise an additional $500,000 to meet that challenge and secure these funds.
“Throughout the pandemic, Preble Street and other organizations have done an incredible job of not only meeting a dramatically increased need for food assistance but also employing new ways to reach people and ease access,” said Tony Cipollone, president and CEO of the John T. Gorman Foundation. “This new Food Security Hub is poised to build on that momentum, making it possible to provide high-quality and culturally-appropriate meals to even more people and foster collaboration among organizations working together to address this critical need.
A key partner in this effort is Good Shepherd Food Bank, which sources and distributes food to more than 500 community-based organizations working statewide to improve access to nutritious food for Mainers experiencing hunger. Good Shepherd will provide “to-go” meal options.
The Hannaford Charitable Foundation is also a key supporter of the Food Security Hub.
Other currently committed partners include the Locker Project, which will utilize the Food Security Hub to provide access to healthy food at 34 public schools, and Cumberland County Food Security Council, which facilitates collaborative action towards a sustainable food system.
Once completed, the Preble Street Food Security Hub will offer an industrial kitchen with the space and equipment necessary to efficiently produce a large volume of healthy meals, a food processing center to increase access to nutritious fruits and vegetables year-round and mitigate waste, as well as a conference center and office space to host research efforts, discussions, and events about ending hunger in Maine.
Phase One of this project is underway and Preble Street Food Programs, which has operated at 252 Oxford St. in Portland since 1993, relocated to 75 Darling Ave. in South Portland in mid-November. Preble Street’s Food Pantry is temporarily operating at 14 Portland St. in Portland.
“Our vision for this Food Security Hub is to scale up Preble Street’s ability to feed more people in Maine while providing a way to bring anti-hunger and social justice organizations together under one roof to address food security and food justice,” said Mark Swann, executive director, Preble Street.
Preble Street, founded in 1975 as a neighborhood center for homeless and low-income residents. hopes to receive some funding from the American Rescue Plan Act funding, but also needs to raise private dollars.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments