“I’ve been amazed by how powerful the sense of community-led change is here.”

This summer I’ve had a fellowship with the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center in Lewiston. The experience has been incredibly insightful and rewarding and has helped me understand and appreciate food systems, structural barriers to accessing resources, and the power of community leadership. Along with two other Bates students (Delilah Meyer ‘24 and Naomi Grace-Lynch ‘25), I was part of the food pantry team. The St. Mary’s Food Pantry uses a “store-like” model that assumes that people know their own food needs and can choose their own items when given the chance. The goal is to provide food stability while nurturing agency and dignity.  Among other things, we learned where the pantry food comes from (large retailers and supermarkets such as Target and Shaw’s, local farmers, and Good Shepherd Food Bank) and how the Nutrition Center distributes this food as equitably as they can to the community throughout the week. I learned from and shared in the frustrations of the very dedicated staff members at the Nutrition Center who, despite being under-resourced and facing structural barriers, continue to strive to create community supported and reliable access to good, healthy, and culturally appropriate food. 

Additionally, I had the opportunity to engage with the Lots to Gardens and Summer Youth Gardener programs. Both programs are run through the Nutrition Center and focus on community agency and leadership in growing organic food. With the Summer Youth Gardener Program, I was able to facilitate food system education with 14-15 year-olds from Lewiston/Auburn and also spend time gardening and cooking with them in downtown Lewiston.

Throughout this summer I have made so many connections and developed friendships with members of our community. I’ve been amazed by how powerful the sense of community-led change is here and how dedicated members of our community are to growing with and supporting one another. I feel very fortunate for this experience and feel so much more connected to this wonderful community I get to call home for two more years!