Fish Foreveryone: Community Seafood Celebration
[STONINGTON, ME, July 20, 2020] – On June 22, the Maine Community Foundation (MCF) approved a $10,000 grant to the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries in flexible operational funding for area nonprofit organizations to enhance food security in communities impacted by the COVID-19 virus. This MCF Emergency Response Fund award is one of 207 grants given statewide, totaling $2.2M.
MCCF was selected as a community action partner organization. Paul Anderson, MCCF Executive Director said, “We are honored to have earned the Maine Community Foundation’s confidence. We will use these funds to support local food providers with a focus of adding more of our outstanding local seafood and produce to community food programs. In addition to providing locally sourced seafood to people in need, we hope to raise awareness about the nutritional value of seafood and its importance to our local economy as we work with other partners to sponsor the Fish Foreveryone: Community Seafood Celebration.”
Working with Healthy Island Project, this grant will support the Salt Air Seniors program in their home delivery of a fresh local lobster roll lunch in lieu of their annual picnic gathering on August 6th. HIP’s Lunch Box program that provides food to Deer Isle-Stonington seniors during this corona virus pandemic will also provide a special lunch that same day along with a wellness check to combat social isolation. Other nonprofit beneficiaries during this special week include the Island Nursing Home residents and staff, Deer Run residents, the Island Food Pantry, the Tree of Life Food Pantry and Healthy Peninsula’s Magic Food Bus.
Our goal is have the entire peninsula community participating in this first Fish Foreveryone: Community Seafood Celebration the week of August 1-7, by eating locally sourced seafood. We have reached out to more than 30 local seafood dealers, businesses, restaurants, our towns, and Chambers of Commerce to get the word out. MCCF is creating a free pamphlet for wide distribution highlighting where you can buy and eat local seafood. Please call MCCF immediately to add your establishment to the brochure.
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Contact:
Paul Anderson, Executive Director
Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries
207.367.2708 │panderson@coastalfisheries.org