The Locker Project, a nonprofit that connects food-insecure children and their families with healthy meals, is moving to South Portland.
A member of the Locker Project drops off produce in Westbrook in 2020 for family pickups. Chance Viles / American Journal
The organization’s new 6,000-square-foot space at 111 Wescott Road, across the street from Memorial Middle School, has ample room for cold storage, something The Locker Project has been searching for.
“We were looking for a new space for three years,” said Executive Director Kathryn Sargent. “We looked at lots and lots of different places.”
The location on Wescott Road met all of The Locker Project’s criteria, including its central location between I-295 and Route 1, where it is easily accessible. The Locker Project partners with more than 40 schools, preschools and other agencies across Cumberland County, including Portland, South Portland, Westbrook and Gorham.
A fall move is planned from the Locker Project’s current site in Scarborough to the building owned by Colonial Adjustment insurance adjusters.
“Throughout the state of Maine, over 20% of kids are food-insecure,” CEO and President Scott A. Kidder said in a prepared statement. “The Colonial family is thrilled to partner with an organization that is focused on this critical issue. Having access to the Locker Project in the same building provides our team a chance to make a difference.”
Sargent said she expects some Colonial Adjustment staff members to become volunteers.
While the new space is acquired, there is still work to be done.
“We need community support to get up and running in our new space; we rely heavily on the community around Greater Portland,” Sargent said. “We’re committed to this work because we really believe child nutrition is critical for the health of the community as a whole and Maine’s future.”
The Locker Project went from supplying about 188,000 pounds of food in 2018 to stepping up its work during the pandemic to a total of about 450,000 pounds in 2021, according to its website.
To learn more about The Locker Project, including how to volunteer or donate, visit mainelockerproject.org.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
