Good Shepherd Food Bank in Maine has initiated a hyper-local approach to address hunger, proving its commitment through a recent grant of $100,000 to close the meal gap in one of the state’s larger counties. Contrary to the top-down approach commonly adopted by food banks, this funding is uniquely community-driven, giving locals control over how the investment is used. Initiated in 2018, this effort seeks to deploy community-led solutions to food insecurity across 27 regions identified by the food bank.

Traditionally, Good Shepherd relied on internal teams to devise strategies and allocate funding, a process that Shannon Coffin, Vice President of Community Partnerships, admits overlooked the wisdom and creativity of community members and leaders. In contrast, the new approach positions Good Shepherd as a neutral facilitator, empowering communities to utilize funding in a manner they deem best to tackle their meal gaps.

Good Shepherd gathers pertinent data for each region, collaborating with local organizations to identify community stakeholders who will form the cohort. These stakeholders are then assisted in performing a SWOT analysis of the region’s capability to close its meal gap, leading to the development of project plans, process design, application reviews, and decision-making on funding.

The projects resulting from this community-led process are highly tailored to local needs. In one county, stakeholders chose to invest in four different food-access initiatives supported by various organizations. Another county funded a joint “community connector” role. As of now, Good Shepherd has executed this process in three cohorts, begun a fourth, and aims to implement activate 27 regions by the end of fiscal year 2028. Recognizing the need for substantial funding, the food bank increased its initial investment to $100,000 per cohort after the first $35,000 cohort.

This novel approach has faced challenges. In its first cohort, Good Shepherd realized its prominent role in organizing meetings led to members deferring decisions to the food bank. To rectify this, the bank now offers stipends to community organizations to lead the initiative, confining its role to providing administrative support, neutral facilitation, and funding.

Positive outcomes have encouraged Good Shepherd to include local stakeholders in review committees for other programs. Coffin notes that such inclusion builds trust with applicants and enhances the impact of invested dollars. While the pandemic has complicated immediate impact assessment, Good Shepherd remains hopeful for the long-term benefits.