AROOSTOOK COUNTY, Maine — Power of Prevention, a program of Cary Medical Center, has assisted 11 food pantries in northern Aroostook County with self-assessments aimed at identifying their needs and strengths. This has led to over $10,000 in funding for the northern Aroostook County pantries from GSFB, along with an upcoming $2,500 from POP.
This is part of a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded initiative administered by Eastern Maine Healthcare System, the Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) grant, to improve community health in rural Maine. Cary Medical Center and Aroostook County Action Program have partnered with GSFB to take the lead on implementing the PICH grant objectives in Aroostook County.
“With the data in the self-assessments, we are currently prioritizing requests for infrastructure improvement funding (cold storage, etc.) and also coming up with recommendations for training opportunities in The County,” said GSFB Community Health and Hunger Program Manager Lori Fecteau.
The self-assessments in northern Aroostook County included a survey to assess healthy food and beverage availability, healthy food placement and promotion, nutrition policies, food sourcing, physical infrastructure needs, client experiences, food safety practices, organizational infrastructure, technology, funding plans and community connections.
Fecteau added, “The long-term vision is that we will create more stability in the food pantry network, as well as an increased focus on offering nutritious foods to people who need assistance. Healthcare providers want to then have somewhere to refer patients that will provide a stable and suitable means for their patients to access supplemental food support that is health promoting.
“Food insecurity, unfortunately, is not a shrinking problem in our state, and these program provide a vital service. Our goal is to ensure they have the supports in place needed to continue with this great work.”
For more information about Power of Prevention, PICH, or POP’s work in Aroostook County to combat hunger and other community health issues, contact Project Director Mark Shea at mshea@carymed.org.
