Recipient Organization
MCHPP
12 TENNEY WAY
BRUNSWICK,ME 04011
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program (MCHPP) is the largest food security agency in the Midcoast Maine region. MCHPP's newest initiative, the Community Kitchen, results from extensive research, including widespread community outreach, internal evaluation, and a community food assessment performed by Merrymeeting Food Council (2018-2019). Maine has set a goal of ending hunger by 2030, and the six New England states have set the target of increasing our regional food self-reliance, such that 30% of the food consumed in New England will be grown in New England by 2030. The Community Food Grant meets the Community Kitchens's goals through expanded collaboration with farmers and food processors, reducing food insecurity, and supporting the regional food economy.The Community Kitchen project makes a commercial kitchen facility available for the community to use at no charge or a competitive rate. MCHPP will partner with the Merrymeeting Food Council and a third-party evaluation service to collect and produce data/results to help inform our target audience. The project will serve as a model for other organizations in Maine and beyond that are interested in addressing local food system shortages. The Community Kitchen will increase the amount of local produce available for food-insecure individuals, reduce farm waste by gleaning food, create new revenue streams for farmers by processing excess and blemished commodities into value-added products, make kitchen space available to startup food businesses, and open space for meal preparation and cooking classes.?
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Project Goals and Corresponding ObjectivesGoal A. Increase access to nutritious produce and meals to address multiple community-stated barriers to food access in MCHPP's service area: cost, time, stigma, transportation, physical ability, and access to space and equipment for meal preparation.Objectives (withGrant Year)Add 10 farms to Gleaning Network GY4Secure an additional 20,000 lbs of local produce for CK processing annually GY4Distribute local produce 12 months of the year GY1Provide 3 cooking classes annually to increase knowledge and skills for volunteers and guests GY1Goal B. Provide a shared commercial kitchen space that meets the needs of non-profits and community groups and serves as an incubation space for new food system businesses. Be responsive to the equipment, accessibility, storage, training, and business resources needed by this diverse set of stakeholders.Objectives (with Grant Year)Install security system GY1Host 25 classes GY4Add 6 new rental contracts per year GY4Hold 1-3 networking events annually GY4Sponsor collaborative processing events GY1Goal C. Increase the strength and resilience of the local food system and the availability of local food by offering affordable kitchen rental and co-packing services for local farms through the CK. Both CK rental for the production of value-added products and co-packing services expand economic opportunities for small agricultural businesses by offering capacity (time, expertise, and facilities) and increasing their year-round market reach.Objectives (by Grant Year)Add 12 co-packing agreements end GY4Increase number of farms connecting with local business GY425% of agreements are MOFGA-certified GY4Manage list of 25 farm contacts GY2Project Objectives Spanning Multiple GoalsWork with 15 pantry partners to establish fresh produce distribution GY1Share best practices learned from community evaluation with partnersWork with third party evaluators to establish best practices for measuring community needs GY1Analyze and report on project annuallyDevelop material to share best practices with partners
Project Methods
Efforts to Achieve Desired Outcomes (See Activities Column in Table D1)Allocating staff time for the program is critical to the project's success. Achieving goals A, B, and C rely on MCHPP's ability to perform and execute multiple tasks. The expertise and knowledge of the Program Director, Community Kitchen Coordinator, Merrymeeting Gleaners Coordinator, and support staff allow MCHPP to achieve all the outcomes described in Section C. Funding for salaries and indirect costs will allow MCHPP to operate the program and reduce kitchen rentals and co-packing prices.Other project activities include securing food. The Gleaning Coordinator will work with farms and volunteers to secure seasonal produce to process in the Community Kitchen. MCHPP works with a vast network of partners to secure and distribute food in our region, connecting farmers, grocery stores, schools, senior housing, hunger prevention programs, and poverty prevention organizations. Increasing the amount of local produce we offer will increase the number of nutritious food options for community members experiencing food insecurity.Purchasing fire and security equipment will allow MCHPP to open the Community Kitchen beyond regular operating hours (M-F 8-4) without a staff member present. This was specifically requested by current and potential renters as well as members of marginalized communities interested in renting the facility. Extended night, early morning, and weekend hours would enable more flexible access for those starting a new business or community group to work around existing job commitments. This will be completed in the first year of the grant period.Table D1: Project Objectives, Activities, Timetable, and LeadObjective (Goals)Activities (Logic Model)TimelableLeadA.) Increase access to nutritious produce and meals to address multiple community-stated barriers to food access in MCHPP's service area: cost, time, stigma, transportation, and access to space and equipment for meal preparation.Acquire and distribute local food through MCHPP programs reducing community identified food access barriers of cost, transportation, and stigma.-Add 10 farms to Gleaning Network GY4- Community member's feedback GY1-Secure an additional 20,000 lbs of local produce for CK processing annually GY4-Program Director-Community Kitchen Coordinator-Merrymeeting Gleaners CoordinatorProcess and store produce to increase access to nutritious food year round and reduce barriers of time, knowledge and access to kitchen space and equipment-Distribute local produce 12 months of the year GY1-Provide 3 cooking classes annually to increase knowledge and skills for volunteers and guests GY1-Program Director-Community Kitchen Coordinator-Merrymeeting Gleaners CoordinatorB.) Provide a shared commercial kitchen space that meets the needs of non-profits and community groups and serves as an incubation space for new food system businesses. Be responsive to the equipment, accessibility, storage, training, and business resources needed by this diverse set of stakeholders.Equip CK with security equipment to facilitate after hours and weekend use by renters-Install security system GY1-Program DirectorManage CK for non-profits, community groups, food system businesses, and farms. Expand resource support for new businesses-Host 25 classes GY4-Add 6 new rental contracts per year GY4-Hold 1-3 networking events annually GY4-Sponsor collaborative processing events GY1-Program Director-Community Kitchen CoordinatorC.) Increase the strength and resilience of the local food system, and the availability of local food by offering affordable kitchen rental and co-packing services for local farms through the CK.Develop co-packing services in partnership with area farms-Add 12 co-packing agreements end GY4-Increase number of farms connecting with local business GY4-25% of agreements are MOFGA-certified GY4-Manage list of 25 farm contacts GY2-Program Director-Community Kitchen CoordinatorA, B,Increase distribution of fresh produce through network of food security partner organizations-Work with 15 pantry partners to establish fresh produce distribution GY1-Share best practices learned from community evaluation with partners-Program Director-Community Kitchen Coordinator-Merrymeeting Food Council/Kitchen Cabinet membersA, B, CEvaluate how the program meets community needs-Work with third party evaluators to establish best practices for measuring community needs GY1-Analyze and report on project annually-Develop material to share best practices with partners-Program Director-Community Kitchen Coordinator-Merrymeeting Food Council/Kitchen Cabinet membersEvaluation ProcessesMCHPP will utilize a wide range of evaluation tools to measure inputs and outputs to determine best practices for achieving the desired outcomes. Staff meet quarterly with managers to evaluate progress and adjust programs as needed. Annual audits are performed to track and evaluate MCHPP's financial performance. Strategies to track the project's progress include data comparison, survey analysis, staff evaluation, and outside evaluation performed by community organizations and members.Using an analytical approach, staff and a third-party consultant will be responsible for analyzing the data collected throughout the project's lifespan. Specific numerical outcomes, such as pounds of food secured and distributed, will be evaluated monthly. An annual review of the trends will allow MCHPP to determine best practices and lessons learned.MCHPP uses software (The Food Corridor ) to track data for the Community Kitchen. This software helps staff evaluate the time efficiency, equipment used, and rental revenue for the facility. The data collected is vital for evaluating the best practices to help coordinate between multiple sectors of the local food system.MCHPP staff routinely use survey analysis and face-to-face conversations to evaluate the performance of programs. These tactics are geared toward program participants and help MCHPP determine some of the nuances associated with our programs. An example of altering programs through survey evaluation can be seen when researching which products are most desired. This is specifically helpful in working with the New Mainers and providing more culturally appropriate food options. Once this information was determined, we spoke with our local farm partners to convey the information, which resulted in more diverse greens being grown at specific locations.Merrymeeting Food Council will be the third-party evaluator for the Community Kitchen. MFC has experience working within the Maine food system and a network that will inform MCHPP of best practices as well as be able to share best practices learned with other organizations. Funding from the grant will allow MFC to dedicate staff time to help evaluate and plan activities for the Community Kitchen project. Community members staff MFC and have multiple channels to access community feedback outside MCHPP networks. The combination of MFC and MCHPP networks will provide a wide range and comprehensive method for community feedback for the Community Kitchen project. Oversight and Community EngagementMerrymeeting Food Council has been involved with the Community Kitchen since its inception in 2022 and will coordinate the design of the third-party evaluation for the project. Composed of stakeholders representing different communities in our region, MFC has the expertise and knowledge to advise on strategies and provide additional community input. The Kitchen Cabinet is the primary advisory team for the Community Kitchen, it includes Merrymeeting Food Council staff and Steering Committee members as well as community members who have specific skills related to the operation of the Community Kitchen.