In these unsettling times, here's a timely message: Full Plates, Full Potential is a coalition of community leaders, stakeholders and advocates working to end child hunger in Maine. Over the last five years, FPFP has awarded 164 grants totaling more than $320,000 across all sixteen counties, and worked with schools and community organizations to expand children’s access to meals — and they're just getting started.

As schools shut down during the COVID-19 emergency, around 80,000 Maine kids will struggle to access meals. Full Plates Full Potential has established an emergency fund to support any public school in Maine that closes due to the pandemic. These emergency funds will help schools pay for increased meals, packaging breakfast and lunch meals, transporting the food to eligible sites and more. If your school has closed, please apply. If you can help, please join Full Plates and donate today.

Joe applauds this wonderful coalition for the essential work they're doing in our community, and urges you to learn more about them here.