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The University of Maine is coordinating its annual student-led Maine Day Meal Pack-Out (MDMP) once again to benefit communities across the state, and they are requesting assistance to reach as many Mainers as possible. Opportunities to engage with this effort include both monetary and volunteer support.
Results of the 2025 MDMP:
As a result of last year’s success, goods were provided to 19 food pantries across six counties specifically targeted for high rates of food insecurity:
- Piscataquis: 32 boxes
- Penobscot: 68 boxes
- Waldo: 14 boxes
- Washington: 82 boxes
- Hancock: 14 boxes
- Kennebec: 16 boxes
Each box contains 216 shelf-stable, nutrionally dense and delicious meals, obtained through EndHungerNE (you may remember Matthew Martin from EndHungerNE as our Ending Hunger Celebration Luncheon keynote speaker earlier this year!). With the aid of many volunteers and supporters, the 2025 MDMP packed and donated 52,920 meals in total. Since the initiative’s inception, over 720,000 meals have been distributed—ranking them sixth nationally among meal-packing organizations and the #1 university in New England.
While the Pack-Out’s primary focus is packing meals, the students that lead this project see it as a win-win-win situation:
- For students – a chance to gain hands-on experience in leadership, collaboration, and service.
- For UMaine and sponsors – a visible commitment to community engagement and service.
- For Maine families – immediate relief to those facing hunger.
Help Make a Bigger Impact in 2026:
Credit unions can get involved with the 2026 MDMP at any time. Planning is well underway for the event, taking place on Wednesday, April 29 at the Memorial Gym in Orono. There are two ways you can show your support.
Volunteer
Volunteer assistance is needed on April 29 to pack meals. Whether you or your colleague(s) would like to attend the whole day or simply take a quick lunch break to lend a hand, any assistance provided will be appreciated. Please contact Ashley Regan, Partnerships & Volunteer Coordinator, at ashley.p.regan@maine.edu for more information and to sign up.
Fund Meals for Mainers
Through EndHungerNE, students obtain healthy meal packages to provide to pantries in Maine—but costs are rising. Up from $0.37 per meal last year, the group is looking to fund just as many meals but for $0.40 each, equaling $2.40 per package (one package feeds six people). In total, the MDMP is facing approximately a $20,000 expense to deliver the same capacity of meals as they did in 2025.
With critical programs like SNAP facing devastating budget cuts, on top of added economic strain, more and more Mainers are turning to pantries for help. By providing funding to community supports like the MDMP, more pantries will be able to maintain the demand for supplies—helping individuals meet their basic nutritional needs.
If you would like to use some of your credit union’s ending hunger dollars to support this effort, please let Lauren Simonds, the League’s Director of Communications & Social Impact, know. You can also support the Pack-Out directly through the university’s Foundation by making an online donation at http://our.umaine.edu/mainedaypackout. Be sure to designate your gift to the ‘Honors College Hungry 100K: Maine Day Meal Pack-Out.’ Checks are also accepted and should be made payable to the University of Maine Foundation and sent to:
University of Maine Foundation
Buchanan Alumni House
Two Alumni Place
Orono, ME 04469-5792
If mailing a payment, please specify that the funds should support the Maine Day Meal Pack-Out/Hungry 100K, Program #55396.
Testimonials from the 2025 MDMP:
- “Your commitment to fighting food insecurity through community-driven action is inspiring, and we are incredibly grateful to be among the beneficiaries of your efforts.” – Kelly Sirimoglu, Piscataquis Regional Food Center
- “Providing relief for food insecurity in Maine is the goal of MDMP, but my favorite part is the exuberance of youth… they organize and run the event annually, learning exactly what it takes to plan and execute a successful community service project.” – Corina Larsen, UMS
- “Beyond my own growth, MDMP has reinforced my belief in the power of community.” – Ruth Griffith, MDMP Student Coordinator
- “This event not only provides thousands of necessary meals for hungry Mainers, but helps students build a deeper connection with their community, fostering a spirit of volunteerism that persists well beyond a single event.” – Jasper Makowski, MDMP Student Coordinator
