Maine has launched a new statewide tool, the Maine Food Access Map, to help people find food assistance near them.
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry unveiled the map Tuesday, saying in an announcement that it’s designed to help Mainers find food pantries, meal sites, school-based programs, Women, Infants and Children nutrition program clinics, and other food assistance.
The new tool comes at a time when food pantries across the state are reporting large increases in demand as residents face higher grocery costs and reductions in Supplemental Food Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
One in eight Mainers, or about 180,000 people, faces hunger — the highest food insecurity rate in New England, according to data collected by the national nonprofit Feeding America. That includes roughly 45,000 children.
“We know that too many Maine people struggle to find nutritious food, and the new Maine Food Access Map is designed to meet this real and growing need,” DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal said in a statement. “By consolidating the state’s hunger-relief resources into one intuitive platform, we can help individuals and families connect more quickly.”
The state will update the map in partnership with local programs and community organizations, according to the department.
It was created by the department’s Ending Hunger Corps team, which supports the statewide strategic plan to end hunger.
Maine launches map to help residents find food pantries, meal assistance
