Good Shepherd Food Bank: Pro Bono Lobbying, Grassroots, and Public Relations

Maine Street Solutions (MSS) has worked with Good Shepherd Food Bank (GSFB) on a pro bono basis since 2017.

Good Shepherd Food Bank had successfully secured three years of funding from the Fund for a Healthy Maine for its Mainers Feeding Mainers program, wherein the organization purchases local foods from Maine farmers for hunger relief programs across the state. This funding was set to run out in June 2019, so when the 129th Legislature began we had a big job ahead of us – securing additional funding for this important program. MSS worked with the Food Bank to draft legislation that would provide the Food Bank with ongoing funding for their work with local farmers from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry budget. The team then helped GSFB bring on Senate President Troy Jackson as the bill’s sponsor and Agriculture Committee House Chair and local agriculture advocate Representative Craig Hickman as lead co-sponsor.

As part of our services on this project, MSS assisted the Food Bank in organizing testimony for the bill’s public hearing, helping to secure nearly 50 pieces of positive testimony from farmers, food pantry volunteers, health care organizations, schools, and more. As the bill moved to the floor, we also assisted the Food Bank in executing a public relations strategy, which involved pitching the media, securing Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor, and a targeted online advertising campaign. All of this public pressure and advocacy helped us raise the profile of the bill and the important program it would support. Emails and phone calls from grassroots supporters poured in at crucial moments – during negotiations with the Governor’s office, the Appropriations Committee, and before floor votes.

While the funding landscape was incredibly challenging and there were many competing interests looking for State funding, the MSS team was able to help GSFB find a solution so that its Mainers Feeding Mainers program could continue. It became clear that this legislation was not going to be inserted into the budget, but MSS identified a source of untapped funding for the biennium and worked with the Chairs of Appropriations to devote that funding to GSFB. With two years of additional funding for its program secured, the Food Bank was given a reprieve to continue planning for the long-term sustainability of its work with Maine farmers.