MaineHealth is partnering with Good Shepherd Food Bank to offer hospital-affiliated food pantries in Farmington, Norway and Portland, Maine. Establishing food pantries as part of MaineHealth’s services is a natural part of the continuum of care in communities served by MaineHealth. Between October 2021 and September 2022 the food pantries at MaineHealth Franklin Hospital and MaineHealth Stephens Hospital distributed:
- 103,050 pounds of food
- 25,264 pounds of fresh produce
- 85,875 meals
The MaineHealth food pantry at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland opened in FY23 and distributes about 20,000 pounds of food, serving more than 3,000 individuals each week.
“Our partnership with MaineHealth has allowed us to significantly expand our food insecurity programming to reach more community members across Maine with the food they need to live healthy lives. Their commitment to addressing food insecurity and increasing access to nutritious food at their primary care offices and hospitals has resulted in hundreds of individuals and families receiving the support they need to manage their health.” – Good Shepherd Food Bank
MaineHealth also has a partnership with the Mainers Feeding Mainers (MFM) program to provide fresh and nutritionally balanced Maine-harvested food to our patients experiencing food insecurity. Between October 2021 and September 2022, the food pantry at MaineHealth Franklin Hospital distributed 4,017 pounds of local produce through the MFM program and the food pantry at MaineHealth Stephens Hospital distributed 2,217 pounds of local produce.
