This past June, State Farm accepted 2,000 applications for their Neighborhood Assist grant program to help communities change for the better as part of the State Farm Neighborhood of Good Initiative. This year, submissions represented causes from throughout the country, focusing on safety (7.5%), education (22.5%), and community development (70%) initiatives.
A review committee narrowed the submissions down to the top 200 finalists, which were posted online and voted on by the public from August 14-23. Persons were allowed to vote up to 10 times daily every day.
This year’s program, in its eighth year, had 4,421,925 total votes cast and the six states with the most grant winners awarded were Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The Gorham School Department’s “Fighting Food Insecurity in Gorham, Maine” program was the only one in Maine to be a top 200 finalist and one of the 40 winners to receive the $25,000 grant due to the support from the community.
“If they didn’t vote, spread the word to family and friends, and remind people (on a daily basis) to vote, we would not have won,” said Heather Whitaker, alternative education teacher at Gorham Middle School (GMS) and the recently announced State of Maine’s 2020 Teacher of the Year winner.
Whitaker learned about this grant opportunity from Michelle Raber, a State Farm agent in Scarborough. With her guidance, Whitaker submitted the application. Under the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program, there have only been two previous winners in Maine.
“Neighborhood Assist is another example of how small acts can equal big impacts in communities all across the U.S.,” said Allison Bertsche, State Farm Public Affairs Director. “From identifying an important cause to rallying your community to vote for it, this program is all about neighbors helping neighbors.”
The “Fighting Food Insecurity in Gorham, Maine” program is designed to increase access to nutritious food for community members experiencing food insecurity.
Photo courtesy of Becky CurtisWith the help of the extended Gorham community, the Gorham School Department’s “Fighting Food Insecurity in Gorham, Maine” program recently received a State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant. Pictured (l to r) are State Farm Agents Jason Hight, Luanne Cameron, Bob Boylen, Becky Curtis, Michelle Raber, GMS alternative education teacher Heather Whitaker, Jen Baker from Village Elementary School, and State Farm Sales Manager Scott Murphy.
In Whitaker’s submission, she stated that in Gorham, approximately 20% of its students qualify for free or reduced price meals though the National School Lunch Program and teachers are finding that in too many instances they are forced to compete against hunger for the attention of their students.
Two subprograms under the Food Insecurity initiative in Gorham are The BackPack Program, which provides students who are suffering from the effects of hunger with nutritious, easy-to-prepare food to eat during the weekends and school vacations, and the GMS Garden, which grows and donates 800-1,000 lbs. of produce to the Gorham Food Pantry every year.
The grant money will help sustain the BackPack Program and allow Gorham to add fresh fruit to its weekly packings, and allow for the purchase of a greenhouse for the garden at GMS to expand the growing season, thus increasing its donation to the pantry.
“Good nutrition is essential for good health and success at school and beyond and the State Farm Grant will positively impact the needs of our community,” said Whitaker in her submission.
While the grant will pay for the greenhouse and ease the financial burden for the BackPack program, Whitaker said she has to raise funds for the garden on an annual basis (roughly $800) and the ongoing costs of the BackPack program ($25,000 annually). Donations are always welcome.
Additionally, if an organization or sports team is looking for a day of service, contact Whitaker at 222-1338 or heather.whitaker@gorhamschools.org.
“I could always use a helping hand. If it were not for the help of my family and a few key volunteers, this program would not be a success. I am looking to expand my gardening support network,” said Whitaker.
Since the beginning of the program, State Farm has awarded $7 million to more than 250 organizations. To learn more information about State Farm’s Neighborhood Assist program, contact Raber at 883-0111.