Addressing Food Insecurity
While Union and Midcoast Maine in general may at times feel like quiet, picturesque rural America, many in our community face food insecurity. Rising costs, limited job opportunities, limited housing, and unexpected hardships leave families and individuals struggling to put food on the table. That’s why Come Spring Food Pantry is here, to ensure that no one in our community has to go hungry, food insecurity does not look the same for everybody and we are here to support those struggling no matter their .
Our mission is simple… to feed our neighbors, with dignity, while promoting
health, opportunity, and hope.
We believe a visible food pantry and hub reflects on the values of the community. A healthy caring community shows inclusion, equity, and healthy sustainable food access to all. It shows a capacity to help those in need and help each other: neighbors helping neighbors.
We Value & Prioritize:
Healthy People
Our commitment to our neighbors must be unwavering in guaranteeing that every person has access to good, fresh, healthy food.
Food Justice
Every person will be treated with dignity and respect. The lived experiences of our neighbors, friends, and family will channel our efforts to provide equity for all.
Our Community
We seek to work together to uplift community voices and offer engagement in all areas of the food system, from cultivation, to distribution, to consumption.
Our Vision For The Future
Our vision is to create a pantry space that is welcoming, providing respect and compassion in a dignified way to our neighbors in need. We will provide good healthy food in a client choice shopping area with space to meet people, learn and takeaway information and ideas that will improve their health and quality of life.
A community kitchen will provide opportunities to educate, Cooking for Community programs, share nutritional information and recipes, basic cooking skills and food safety. Partnerships with Knox County Gleaners, collaborations with the SNAP program and local chefs will provide ready to heat and eat meals using fresh vegetables and food available in the pantry.
Outside areas will be dedicated to community use, walking paths, grow to give and garden spaces, utilizing our land and local sources for seeds, gardening and healthy activities. The Union Farmer’s Market is utilizing our field for the summer farmers market.
We will become the Western Knox County food hub distribution point with space for extra refrigeration, a root cellar cool-bot container, and a commercial kitchen. It will be a place to gather for food and agricultural activities and emergency food distribution with equitable access for all!