Healthy Lincoln County (HLC) is a community health program of MCD, providing public health programs in Lincoln County, Maine. HLC supports thriving, healthy communities in Lincoln County by working with our partners to improve the health and well-being of residents of all ages. In 2013, HLC became a program of MCD.
Growing Food Security Resources
In 2023, HLC was awarded two federal grant opportunities to further enhance food security programming in Lincoln County. A $135,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm to School grant is providing dedicated focus to linking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and food security programming to one another by working with local farms to integrate gleaned produce into the classroom and summer enrichment experience.
The three-year, $500,000 USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant is enhancing Lincoln County’s accessibility to local produce by working with farms to assist in utilizing SNAP/EBT services at their farm stands and farmers markets across the county. These grants are working to further integrate local produce into the community through efforts in programming, training, and technical assistance.
HLC staff have been at the forefront of emerging food security initiatives in Lincoln County since the Lincoln County Gleaners group was initially formed in 2017. Since then, HLC partnered in the Lincoln County Food Initiative (LCFI) where organizations across Lincoln County helped provide residents in need of access to food deliveries throughout the pandemic. This project enabled HLC to secure the Food Security Community Connector role through funding from Good Shepherd Food Bank’s Community-Driven Strategies to End Hunger process. Through the connector role, HLC has worked more closely in connecting its emerging food security needs to its programmatic work with SNAP Education as well as the USDA’s SFSP.
