Meals for Maine initiative expands off-campus with 50,000-meal service event
The signature event, which has rapidly grown since its founding in 2023, will take place for the second time this academic year in downtown Portland
More than 140 University of New England students and community volunteers will gather in downtown Portland this week to assemble 50,000 meal kits for Mainers facing food insecurity, marking a major milestone for the University’s growing Meals for Maine initiative.
Hosted at the historic Maine Masonic Temple in partnership with the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation, the evening service event represents the first time UNE’s large-scale meal-packing effort will take place off campus and directly within the communities it serves. The initiative will also reach a new statewide milestone, with meal kits from this event planned for distribution across all 16 of Maine’s counties.
Since launching in 2023, Meals for Maine has assembled more than 300,000 meals for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity throughout the state, including more than 150,000 distributed since September 2025 alone. The initiative has steadily expanded in scale through new partnerships and growing student participation, and this week’s event will bring the total number of meals distributed throughout Maine to over 350,000.
The March 25 event will bring together UNE students, faculty, professional staff, and service-learning leaders, plus volunteers from the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation and members of the Greater Portland community in a fast-paced, collaborative effort to package non-perishable meals for distribution statewide. Funding for the event was provided by the Foundation.
“This event shows how meaningful service-learning experiences can connect students with real community needs while creating measurable impact,” said Trisha Mason, M.A., director of Service-Learning at UNE. “By bringing Meals for Maine into downtown Portland, we’re helping students see firsthand how collective action can make a difference for communities across the entire state.”
In addition to supporting food insecurity relief efforts, organizers say the event highlights the role of hands-on service opportunities in strengthening teamwork, civic engagement, and connections between UNE students and community partners.
The Meals for Maine initiative has become a signature example of UNE’s approach to experiential learning, combining student leadership, statewide collaboration, and direct service to address pressing challenges facing Maine communities.
On Sept. 16, UNE will again host its campus-based Meals for Maine events, during which volunteers will assemble another 200,000 meals with the support of the New England Cancer Specialists.
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