2022 Community Redistribution Fund Report

CRF FUND REPORT

Community RedistributionFund 2022GrantCycle

C O N T E N T S

Land Acknowledgment

Pages 1

Executive Summary

Page 2-3

Introduction

Page 4

Program Overview

Page 5

Changes to Community

Redistribution Fund

Pages 6-10

CRF Spotlights

Pages 11-14

Conclusion & Next Steps

Page 15

2022 Grant Recipients

Appendix 1

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine recognizes that its work and the work of our partner network cannot achieve just and equitable outcomes without acknowledging that we stand on the unceded territory of the Wabanaki people, which includes the tribes of the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Abenaki, and Mi’kmaq people, and the impact that colonization, genocide, and displacement has had and continues to have on tribal populations living in their ancestral homeland in what is now called Maine.

In acknowledging this, we recognize that the Wabanaki people in Maine are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity. According to a report issued by the Ending Hunger in Maine by 2030 initiative, 29.5% of the tribal population in Maine experience food insecurity, which is above the national average of 27%.

We recognize, too, the history of the water, air, fish, wildlife, plants, and soils that have been hunted, gathered, fished, foraged, harvested, and stewarded sustainably by the tribes of the Wabanaki confederacy for millennia. For thousands of years predating the arrival of European colonists, the people of the Dawnland relied on the soil, forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains of what we now call Maine for subsistence* and food, spiritual, medicinal, economic, and recreational resources. All that we see and stand on, for the Wabanaki people, nourished the whole person and, in turn, nourished the richness and depth of tribal communities, culture, and society. To this day, the Wabanaki people look to the land and waters, both inland and coastal, for physical, mental, and spiritual sustenance as they have done for countless generations.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2022 CRF FUND REPORT

As part of its focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion, the Food Bank created a Community Redistribution Fund aimed at breaking down barriers and increasing access to culturally relevant foods for communities of color throughout Maine. According to the Ending Hunger in Maine by 2030 Task Force Report, 28 percent of households headed by people of color are food insecure, and 40 percent of households headed by Black Mainers are food insecure.

As part of its commitment to equity and breaking down barriers to culturally relevant food, Good Shepherd Food Bank substantially increased CRF funding available in 2022.

A community- and relationshipdriven strategy was instrumental in substantially raising awareness about the CRF and growing the applicant pool for the 2022 grant cycle.

The large pool of funding allowed flexibility for nearly 90% of eligible applications to be funded fully or partially.

Larger than average award amounts not only meant larger grants, but grants that were more right-sized depending on organizations' size, service population, and geographic reach.

The geographic distribution looks slightly different as compared to 2021 and 2020, because of an effort to more accurately reflect where funds were invested and to disaggregate regions. For instance, Bangor and Downeast was previously included as “Northern Maine,” but is now categorized as “Eastern Maine.”

NOTE: Some organizations overlapped or covered more than one region, and funding amounts were split evenly for the two regions.

Total Award Amounts to Tribal Communities

A total of $110,000 was redistributed to Indigenous-led organizations or organizations working closely with tribal populations, accounting for 14.7% of grant funds distributed. This is compared to 27.8%, or $115,300, in 2021, and 26.33%, or $79,000, in 2020. The CRF Team is using this datapoint to include outreach to the Passamaquoddy Tribe, which had not applied for CRF funding in 2022 as it did in 2021 and 2020.

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Like many organizations during the COVID-19 global pandemic, Good Shepherd Food Bank realized that its one-size-fits-all approach did not meet the needs of Maine’s communities of color.

The pre-pandemic distribution model was lacking foods that were culturally important and recognizing the enormous gap, the Food Bank established the Community Redistribution Fund (CRF). This fund provides grants directly to grassroots organization led by and primarily serving communities of color to source and distribute culturally important food.

The creation of this fund spurred growth and programming expansion at Good Shepherd Food Bank. The Food Bank now has two Community Impact managers, a vice president of equity, diversity and impact, and three funds dedicated to investing in Maine’s communities of color (Emergency, Cultural Celebrations, and Community Redistribution Fund).

MEGAN TAFT

Vice President of Equity & Impact

KHADIJA

AHMED Community Impact Manager

MARPHEEN CHANN

Community Impact Manager, CRF Team Lead

Good Shepherd Food Bank’s CRF Team

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Good Shepherd Food Bank recognizes that poverty and food insecurity disproportionately impact communities of color and is committed to leveraging its power as the largest hunger-relief organization in the state to redistribute resources directly to organizations and coalitions committed to meeting the needs of immigrants, refugees, Indigenous communities, and communities of color.

The purpose of the Community Redistribution Fund is to support organizations’ efforts to address the disproportionate impact of food insecurity and increase access to culturally relevant foods to communities of color, immigrant, and refugee communities in Maine. This grant is intended for organizations led by and working primarily with communities of color, immigrant, and refugee communities.

CHANGES IN THE 2022 GRANT CYCLE

Several recommendations and changes were implemented to improve and grow the program in order to make both the program and process more participatory and more equitable. These changes and recommendations were made after several meetings with community leaders and representatives of Maine Initiatives’ Grants for Change program.

CRF Community Advisory Committee #1

To help guide the restructuring and improvement of the CRF, outreach was conducted to community leaders with a focus on individuals who had both experience with grant funding (both managing and applying) and deep connections to communities of color. The 2022 CRF Community Advisory Committee members included:

Crystal Cron, Director of Presente Maine

Maulian Dana, Penobscot Tribal Ambassador

Alice Kabore, Multicultural and Multilingual Coordinator at South Portland Schools

Charles Mugabe, Director of Case Management at Catholic Charities

Grace Valenzuela, Executive Director of Multilingual and Multicultural Center at Portland Public Schools

CRF Community Advisors reviewed a number of policies and guiding documents, including the new CRF Stipend Policy, CRF Guiding Principles and Framework, and reviewed and helped select members of the CRF Community Table, the CRF grant review committee. The CRF Advisory Committee also served as a sounding board to Food Bank staff.

Foodisdeeplyrootedincultureandtradition Itʼsoneofthebestwaystoconnect withpeoplewhocomefromvariousculturalbackgrounds.Havingpeoplefrom diversecommunitiesinMaineguidethegrantprocessanddecision-makingforGood SheperdFoodBank'sCommunityRedistributionFundallowforequitableaccessand thepotentialforbringingcommunitiestogether.

Grace Valenzuela. Ph.D., 2022 CRF Grant Advisory Committee Member and Director of Portland Public Schools Multilingual and Multicultural Center

CRF Community Table (Grant Review Committee) #2

The 2022 CRF Community Table was selected from a pool of applicants following an open invitation to members of communities of color and Indigenous, immigrant, and refugee communities. To inform the open invitation, the CRF team leveraged their personal and professional networks, as well as the existing CRF and Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition email lists. Postings describing the committee and duties were also made on social media.

Twenty-two applicants applied to participate on the 2022 CRF Community Table. Fourteen individuals were selected by the Food Bank’s CRF team with the assistance of the CRF Community Advisory Committee, who reviewed and provided feedback on the applications. As a result of this multi-step, community-informed process, the Community Table was made up of community leaders of color from different sectors, including schools, advocacy, direct and social services, indigenous, refugee resettlement, and ethnic community-based organizations.

The Spring 2022 CRF Community Table (Grant Review Committee)

MOHAMED ABDILLAHI

Executive Director of Multicultural Community and Family Support Services

TARLAN AHMADOV

President of the Azerbaijan Community of Maine

HEATHER AUGUSTINE

Founder and Community Organizer at Mawiomi Gardens

ROSE BARBOZA

Director of Black Owned Maine

ASSOUMANI CADEAU

Wellness Program Manager at Gateway Community Services

LELIA DEANDRADE

VP of Community Impact at Maine Community Foundation

ALICE KABORE

Multicultural and Multilingual Coordinator at South Portland Schools

KRISTINA KALOLO

Markets Manager, Somali Bantu Community Organization

CHARLES MUGABE

Director of Case Management at Catholic Charities of Maine

LESLIE MONROY

Migrant Education Services Coordinator at Mano en Mano

JOHN OCHIRA

Program Manager at Maine Community Foundation

THEARY LENG RYDER

Executive Director of Khmer Maine

HANNAH YOUNG

Board Member and Past President of Maine Multicultural Center

Fine-tuning Eligibility Criteria #3

In previous grant cycles, priority was given to organizations that were not part of the Food Bank’s network and organizations that were led by and serving communities of color. However, this created a barrier for one organization that, after applying, later became a partner and was deemed ineligible to receive the funds.

Based on feedback, the eligibility criteria was changed to allow any organization led by and primarily serving communities of color, regardless of partnership status, to be eligible to apply for and receive CRF grant funds. In addition, some flexibility was introduced for organizations who did not meet the 50% board and staff leadership diversity threshold. These organizations had the option of convening a CRF project steering committee, led by people of color to oversee the work being supported by the CRF.

2022 CRF Eligibility Criteria

Eligible organizations/projects must be based in Maine and contribute to a more just and equitable food system.

Grassroots, community-led organizations and coalitions, fiscally sponsored, and collaborative projects are encouraged to apply. Individuals are not eligible to receive grant funds. Previous grantees are encouraged to apply.

To ensure that CRF grant funds are redistributed to organizations led by and primarily working with communities of color, immigrant, and refugee communities, the organization must meet one of the following:

50% or more of the organization’s leadership staff or program directors are from communities of color

50% of board members of governing decision-making roles are from communities of color

50% of activists and on-the-ground community change-makers are from communities of color

If an organization does not meet the organizational criteria of being led by communities of color, a steering committee led by members of communities of color may suffice.

Funding Tiers: A New Approach #4

In Rounds 1-4, organizations were awarded relatively the same amount with some variation depending on what the reviewers wanted to prioritize. In Round 5 (Spring 2022), the introduction of different funding tiers (or levels) was an attempt to recognize on paper that not all organizations and grant applicants have the same structure or operate in the same manner. The funding tiers also allowed for additional criteria to further articulate that the CRF was meant to meet organizations where they are based on capacity, geographic reach, and demographics. For example, to award $10,000 each to an organization serving multiple ethnic communities statewide and an organization serving one ethnic community in one or two counties is inequitable from a funding perspective.

2022 CRF Funding Tiers

SYSTEMIC IMPACT GRANTS (UP TO $50,000, ONE-TIME)

Purpose: To provide funding for partnerships, programs, and projects that seek to address systemic, food-related issues that have a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANTS (UP TO $20,000, ONE-TIME)

Purpose: To provide funding for partnerships, programs, and projects that seek to break down barriers and increase access to culturally important foods in culturally responsive ways.

GRASSROOTS GRANTS (UP TO $10,000, ONE-TIME)

Purpose: To provide funding for grassroots organizations, pilot and nontraditional programs that seek to address emergent needs of BIPOC communities.

2022 Average Award Amounts

Expanding the Use of Grant Funds #5

To allow for more flexibility in terms of the use of grant funds, the cap for the percentage of funds that could be used for general operations was raised from 10% to 20%. This was in recognition of the staff, and volunteer capacity and administrative work needed to implement and operate projects and programs, especially for organizations led by communities of color that are underfunded and under-resourced.

By including the language “but not limited to,” the CRF Team also adopted a trust-based grantmaking model in providing grantees flexibility to define what spending was “food-related.” This edit was done in recognition of the fact that communities of color know best how to serve their own communities.

2022 CRF USE OF GRANT FUNDS LANGUAGE

Use of grant funds can include but is not limited to: the purchase of food for direct distribution or meal preparation; gift cards/credits to culturally specific markets for community members; food sovereignty projects; farming/agriculture projects; transportation; storage; and distribution costs.

Up to 20% of grant funds may be used for general operating expenses. If you have questions about particular expenses, please contact us to discuss.

MAWIOMI GARDEN CRF SPOTLIGHT

Mawiomi Garden is an Indigenous-led Wabanaki Food Sovereignty project, serving families directly and working to revitalize indigenous foodways. The organization directly distributes fresh organic produce, poultry, and culturally significant food and medicines to Wabanaki communities year-round. Food sovereignty is for all –

Mawiomi Garden shares the surplus with local neighbors at two free food stands. They aim to transform local and global food systems and work towards a more just food system, where food is not a commodity but a human right.

How has the CRF grant helped your organization meet the culturally relevant food needs of your communities?

"Wewereabletohireafull-timeapprenticeandpurchaseequipmenttoprocess morepoultryandgamebirdstosupplementourcommunityfoodshareboxes.

Wewereabletobuildoutourinfrastructureandhadourfirstseasonraising standardbronzeturkeys.Welookforwardtoacoolseasonfilledwithfeasting!"

Kessi

Watters Kimball, Sole Proprietor

MawiomiGardenTurkeys PhotocourtesyofKessiWattersKimball

MI'KMAQ NATION

The majority of the 1,489+ members of the Mi’kmaq Nation live within Aroostook County, Maine’s most northern county. From time immemorial the Mi’kmaqs have occupied the lands south and east of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Canada’s Maritime Provinces, and other regions along the Atlantic Seaboard of Northeastern America. The Mi’kmaq nation, today, is composed of seven districts with 29 bands and a population of approximately 30,000.

How has the CRF grant helped your organization meet the culturally relevant food needs of your communities?

"Harvestseasonbeganwithfooddistribution...Itemsweredeliveredtotribal elderseveryotherWednesday,alternatingWednesdaystothetribalfood pantry...OurTribalyouthprogramsbeganaSliceandDice'class'every TuesdayandThursdayfor(2)agegroups.Theaverageclassparticipationis28 kids.Theyarelearninghowtopreparesmallsnacksforthemselvessuchas englishmuffinpizzasandsalad."

—Cara O'Donnell, Natural Resources Director

NEW ENGLAND ARAB AMERICAN ORGANIZATION (NEAAO)

NEAAO seeks to bridge the culture gap for a healthier, better integrated community by offering services and programs that increase resiliency and prepare New Mainers to participate fully in the economic, political, and social life of their communities. The organization assists Arab immigrants in social integration through training for better opportunities in the workforce; advocate for Women’s rights to prevent domestic violence and isolation by supporting with challenges and education; works to allow every child to live life to its fullest by minimizing the risk of child abuse and substance abuse; and supports the higher education for teens.

How has the CRF grant helped your organization meet the culturally relevant food needs of your communities?

"Ithasbeencriticalinhelpingusmeetfoodneedsinthecommunity,especially ashousingcostshaveescalatedandfamiliesstruggletoallocatetheirfundsfor housingandutilities.Foodisoftenwheretheyhavemorecontrol.Thenewest Afghanfamilieswhohavetransitionedoutoftheirone-yearresettlement assistancehavebeeninneedoffood,especiallyculturallypreferredfoods."

Melinda Thomas, Program Director

PRESENTE MAINE

Presente Maine is a grassroots organization that fights to empower displaced indigenous and afro-Latinx peoples of Maine through survival programs, community power building, cultural celebration, and transformative healing practice. Food Sovereignty and Land Access is one of three paths Presente takes and works to be able to grow, harvest, eat, share, and commune with healthy traditional foods and be in a healing and respectful relationship with the land.

How has the CRF grant helped your organization meet the culturally relevant food needs of your communities?

"Foodisagatewaytoourrelationshipstotheland,thebeingsandlifecycles thatshesupportsandnurtures,ourancestors,andourtraditions.Webuild communityandculturearoundthegrowing,harvesting,processing,cooking andsharingoffood.Dignity,choiceandabilitytoparticipateinourfood systememployingancestralpracticesisfoodsovereignty.Itgoesbeyonddietary preferences.TheCRFfundssupportstherestorationofthissacredrelationship tofoodthroughfinancialresourcesthatallowustodecide.

Crystal Cron, Founder & Executive Director

PresenteMaineFoodDistribution

Photo courtesyofPresenteMaine

CONCLUSION & NEXT STEPS

The Community Redistribution Fund has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic. As the CRF enters its fourth year, the CRF Team is planning to do an automatic re-funding of the 2022 grantees with a few adjustments and input from the first cohort of the Food Equity & Justice Collaborative that will convene in January of 2023. This will also allow the CRF Team time to review and evaluate the past three years and make improvements, including but not limited to:

Fine-Tuning the Funding Tiers

Feedback was received that having applicants choose a funding tier forced applicants into a scarcity mindset The CRF Team will keep funding tiers but only as a tool to guide grant reviewers.

More Funding for Indigenous Organizations

Funding for organizations working closely with tribal populations dropped from 27.8% (or $139,000) for both grant cycles in 2021, to 14.7% (or $110,00) in the 2022 grant cycle. Recommendation is to have at least 25% of fund redistributed to Indigenous-led orgs.

More Community & Relationship Building

The CRF Team is working to develop a menu of ways to connect and build community with grantees as it continues to shift away from stringent reporting requirements and more toward trust-based grantmaking.

2022 CRF GRANTEES

Systemic Impact

To provide funding for partnerships, programs, and projects that seek to address systemic, food-related issues that have a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

• Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition - $30,000

• Presente Maine - $30,000

• Cultivating Community - $30,000

• Eastern Woodlands Rematriation Collective - $30,000

• Somali Bantu Community Association - $30,000

Community Impact

To provide funding for partnerships, programs, and projects that seek to break down barriers and increase access to culturally important foods in culturally responsive ways.

• Zone 6 Farms - $20,000

• Maine Association of New Americans - $20,000

• Westbrook School Department - $20,000

• Maine Black Community Development - $20,000

• Greater Portland Family Promise - $20,000

• Ummah Farm Enterprise - $20,000

• South Portland School Department - $20,000

• Gateway Community Service Maine - $20,000

• Afghan Community of Maine - $20,000

• New England Arab American Organization (NEAAO) - $20,000

• Mawita’nej Epij’ij / Wabanaki Reach - $20,000

• Hand in Hand / Mano en Mano - $20,000

• Mi’kmaq Nation - $20,000

• Sustainable Livelihoods Relief Organization (SLRO) - $20,000

• Khmer Maine - $20,000

• Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services - $20,000

• A.C.T Heaven First Church - $20,000

• New Roots Cooperative Farm - $20,000

• Mawiomi Garden - $20,000

• Multilingual & Multicultural Center, Portland Public Schools - $20,000

• In Her Presence - $20,000

2022 CRF GRANTEES

Community Impact, cont'd.

To provide funding for partnerships, programs, and projects that seek to break down barriers and increase access to culturally important foods in culturally responsive ways.

• Angolan Community of Maine - $20,000

• AK Health and Social Services - $20,000

• Azerbaijan Society of Maine - $20,000

• South Sudanese Group of Friends - $20,000

• St. Ann’s Penobscot Food Pantry - $20,000

• Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Masjid - $10,000

• Rise and Shine Youth Retreat - $10,000

• YWCA Central Maine - $10,000

Grassroots Impact

To provide funding for grassroots organizations, pilot and nontraditional programs that seek to address emergent needs of BIPOC communities.

• Zambian Community of Maine - $7,500

• Intercultural Community Center - $7,500

• Capital Area New Mainers Project - $7,000

• Multicultural Community & Support Services - $7,000

• Living With Peace International - $7,000

• Health Corner - $7,000

• Tree Street Youth - $7,000