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Good Shepherd Food Bank / Hunger Education

Hunger Education

Hunger affects every community, from Fort Kent to Kittery. Learn more about hunger in your community through our learning resources. We have activities for all ages and spaces.

Partner with us by learning more about hunger in our communities.

Volunteer hands holding apples at the Food Bank

Book List (K-5)

No one is too young to begin learning about hunger in our communities. Use these picture books to facilitate discussions with kids of all ages.

  • How Full is Your Bucket?
    • Demonstrates the importance of being kind to others and building each other up. Each of us is coming from a different place depending on our interactions with others.
  • One Green Apple
    • We all are different, but diversity makes us stronger. This book emphasizes the importance of inclusion.
  • Maddi’s Fridge
    • Explores what childhood hunger is and how kids can help each other.
  • Poverty and Hunger
    • A book explaining the concepts of hunger and poverty for kids.
  • Meeting Needs in Our Community
    • For upper elementary. Introduces the food cycle and how our markets can result in food insecurity and what we can do to help.
  • Don’t Waste Your Food
    • A book about food waste and how reducing food waste can increase food security.
  • Lulu and the Hunger Monster
    • Uses personification to demonstrate what hunger might feel like and also gives background as to how a food bank works.
  • Saturday at the Food Pantry
    • Explains what it might be like to utilize a food pantry and breaks down stigma.
  • The Good Garden
    • How to utilize sustainable farming practices, and also shares how some people exploit farmers.
  • Rah Rah Radishes
    • A chant book highlighting different vegetables.
  • One Hen
    • A story of how one boy’s idea to use leftover money from a community loan helped his community to flourish.

Service-Learning Program

What is Service-Learning?

Service-learning is like a three-legged stool.

Service-learning is the seat and the three legs are:

  • Academic Integrity: Students have to learn something related to course content.
  • Student Ownership: Students come up with the solution to the identified problem.
  • Community Partnership: Students work/consult with community partners to make an impact on the issue identified.

Our service-learning program teaches students about food insecurity and hunger within their communities and empowers them to take action.

You can utilize these materials within any gathering of students such as:

  • Classrooms
  • Homeschool
  • Afterschool programs
  • Scouts
  • Youth groups
  • Summer programs

Lessons are aligned with Maine State Learning Standards and integrate Social-Emotional Learning.

We currently offer materials for 3rd-5th grade and 6th-8th grade. High School+ Coming Soon!

For grades K-5, check out our Book List

Read about completed service-learning projects:

“ The materials offered enough to picking and choosing based on the abilities of the students. The stories are extremely impactful. The stories also offered diversity—exposing children to diversity in literature was wonderful. ”
– Gail Pocock, Katahdin Elementary School

“ After going through the activities, the students invited the food service director to visit. The students felt empowered to have an administrator listen to their suggestions and take action. ”
– Yvonne Perry, Nokomis Regional Middle School

“ One thing I learned is that anyone can be hungry, it doesn’t matter your age. I learned that is why we have the food come to our school so people who are hungry can come and get some food. ”
– Student, Katahdin Elementary School

“ The part that meant the most was planning a service learning project, learning about eating (good) nutritiously like we do in our MyPlate activities and in our Special, ‘All about Food’. ”
– Student, Katahdin Elementary School

“ I learned that not everyone is able to get their next meal or they don’t know when they will get their next meal. ”
– Student, Nokomis Regional Middle School

    Community Food Experience

    Adapted from Atlanta Community Food Bank

    Overview

    Many people in our communities across Maine do not know where their next meal will come from. We call this food insecurity, meaning they do not have access to enough nutritious food to lead an active, healthy life. These community members are also disproportionately impacted by diet-related diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The Community Food Experience simulates the challenges many face and explores both barriers to access and the impact food insecurity has on community health. As a discussion-based activity, it also encourages taking action – becoming part of the solution to this complex yet addressable community health issue.

    What to Expect

    The Community Food Experience can be facilitated with groups of 20-50 people starting at age 12. In this simulation, there are 16 Community Member roles and eight Merchant/Service Provider roles. Community Members are asked to purchase, or access through community services, a daily allowance of nutritious food. Each Community Member has a unique scenario that may include having children, a health condition, being a senior citizen, etc. Some Community Members have access to transportation, nutrition programs, or benefits, and some do not. Through this simulation experience, participants begin to understand the complexity of hunger and food security issues and explore the impact they can have on individuals and the community. It is a powerful tool to engage, educate, and empower the community to take action through service and advocacy.

    Plan Your Experience Today!

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    Special Thanks To:

    • Melissa Gallagher
    • Missy Hall
    • Caroline Viles
    • Laura Thomas
    • Cristina Perez
    • Gabrielle Brown
    • Dawn McLaughlin