Damariscotta-Newcastle - Grant Funds

Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club

GRANT FROM DISTRICT 7780 FUNDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO FARMS PROGRAMS

The Rotary Club of Damariscotta-Newcastle has used part of their 2015-2016 District Grant from District 7780 to help combat Food Insecurity in Lincoln County.

This week Winslow Myers, Service Committee Chair, presented a check for $800 to Karen Kleinkopf of FARMS, with $1200 still to be distributed.

FARMS will give 8 scholarships that help child and adult students attend classes where they learn to cook nourishing foods using economical ingredients.

FARMS (Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools) provides education about good nutrition and the role of local farms in promoting healthy, sustainable communities, promotes and facilitates farm to institution purchasing and provides guidance and support to families that will increase the household consumption of locally-grown produce.

FARMS also offers hands-on experiences for people of all ages to develop expertise in cooking and gardening and a passion for healthier living, as well as provides a place where local farmers, chefs, medical practitioners, and other community members can share their own knowledge and expertise.

According to the most recent Federal statistics, the level of food insecurity, a measure of a household’s inability to afford enough food throughout the year, has been escalating in Maine to a level that is the highest in New England and above the national average.

16% of Maine residents, or 1 out of 7, use hunger relief during the year. One quarter of users are sixty or older; more than one quarter are younger than seventeen. 6 out of 10 of those using hunger relief are employed, but their income cannot cover both food and necessities such as rent, utilities or medical care.