Ending Hunger Corps Food Systems VISTA

What if one year of service could reshape how an entire county accesses healthy food-- and help move Maine closer to ending hunger by 2030? Join Healthy Lincoln County, a community-driven public health organization dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to nutritious food, supportive connections, and dignified care as the Food Systems VISTA. Our work spans countywide food security initiatives, gleaning partnerships, the state¿s largest Summer Meals Program, and collaborative efforts to strengthen the local food system. Based in Damariscotta and serving all 19 towns of Lincoln County, the Food Systems Capacity-Building VISTA will create sustainable systems that expand food recovery, strengthen volunteer engagement, and support a shared community storage and prep space that is a regional asset for pantries, farms, schools, and other food access organizations. Rural coastal Maine continues to experience high levels of food insecurity shaped by transportation barriers, fluctuating seasonal populations, limited distribution points, and rising food costs. To meet these challenges, local organizations need strong coordination tools, reliable volunteer structures, and well-organized partnerships. The VISTA¿s work will build the long-term infrastructure necessary to expand gleaning, deepen collaboration, and increase the volume and consistency of healthy food reaching local families. The VISTA member will join a cohort working to end hunger across the state of Maine, and Ending Hunger Corps is part of Maine¿s plan to end hunger by 2030. By the end of the service year, the Food Systems Capacity-Building VISTA will leave behind durable systems-- volunteer onboarding tools, partner maps, communication workflows, and engagement frameworks-- that strengthen Lincoln County¿s food security network and support a more connected, equitable, and resilient future.