As families continue to struggle with the economic impact of COVID-19, Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG), partnered with its school partners to distribute $100 Hannaford Supermarket gift cards to 3,000 students and their families throughout Maine.
While Maine’s K-12 public schools are continuing to provide free bagged breakfasts and lunches to students by scheduling pickup times, and even school bus deliveries, food insecurity continues to rise.
JMG programs are hosted within Maine’s public schools and higher education systems. JMG specialists deliver a competency-based model, providing instruction for essential life and career skills, through personalized learning strategies.
It is the only nonprofit in Maine serving students from middle school through high school graduation, and into post-secondary education and careers. There are 143 JMG programs in Maine, in all 16 counties.
“Students in all of the communities we serve have been telling their JMG specialists they are struggling with getting enough food and other critical household items,” explained Craig Larrabee, JMG’s President and CEO.
Larrabee said JMG serves as a bridge between public education and private business. Therefore, he reached out to the private sector to help these students because he knew its leaders would want to do something to support Maine students.
Superintendent Heather Perry gave a “shout out” in her April 13 blog post to Gorham’s three JMG employees: Ryan Chicoine, Eliza Kinigsberg, and Maureen O’Brien.
“Even though our students have been at home, these folks have not stopped working on our goals of making sure our K-12 students continue to think about their aspirations,” said Perry. “They also haven’t stopped caring about our awesome students.”
JMG donated $2,000 in Hannaford gift cards to Gorham’s JMG high school families and another $2,000 in Hannaford gift cards for families in grades K-8 to support those families most in need. The company also recently donated another $1,000 in funding to help support Gorham’s purchase of additional hot spots for families in need.