Portland, ME is a thriving brick city in Maine known for cultural and community activities, and our economy is driven by food, and tourism, among other things. We have the biggest refugee and immigrant community in Maine. Students in Portland public schools speak more than 70 languages!

The service member in Portland would serve at the service site Cultivating Community whose mission is to strengthen communities by growing food, preparing youth leaders and new farmers, and promoting social and environmental justice. We use our community food work as an engine for high-impact youth and community development programs that reconnect people to the natural and social systems that sustain us all. Our service member will complement our purpose of exposing all students to healthy eating habits and valuing the growing of one’s own food. This is part of local sovereignty, which is a major theme for us. Service members will serve with area schools to help integrate the strategic plans to truly integrate FoodCorps programming beyond FoodCorps. On a district level, service members will work closely with Food Services around taste tests, promotion, and best practices. They will join monthly action group meetings through Food Fuels Learning, and will collaborate with parents and other volunteers during community work days and events.

When you serve in Maine, you are joining a family of 12 Service members serving all across the state. We connect both virtually and in person, spend time together and learn, and enjoy all the natural beauty and excellent food culture Maine has to offer. No matter where you are, you have the support of the cohort and FoodCorps Maine staff, Malia and Ryan, who both grew up in Maine and love sharing all that is great about this state with service members who we hope will put down roots here and continue to be an important part of Maine.