Help Create LA’s Future Community Food Center!

Are you a food-loving person, a cook, baker, grower, or entrepreneur? Have you been thinking about starting your own business? Are you excited about the community development happening across Lewiston-Auburn right now? 

If any of the above rings true for you, then mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 26th 3:30-5:00 pm at the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, 208 Bates Street for a learning session about the new Community Food Center to be located on Pine Street next to Kennedy Park in Lewiston. This will be a chance for people to learn about, and get engaged with, an exciting vision for a vibrant multi-use community space that includes a cooperatively run low-cost grocery store, shared commercial kitchen, shared food storage, and café.

The Community Food Center (CFC) will increase access to healthy food, provide storage and processing opportunities for local small-scale food producers and farmers, provide opportunities for skills development, and unlock job and ownership opportunities for community members. This project is by, for, and of, members of Lewiston-Auburn and needs your voice and ideas to bring it to life!

TO REGISTER

To Register for the Event CLICK HERE 

(https://forms.gle/dFxqaNYhizUNAhHk7)

BE A CREATOR!

Interested and excited attendees at the learning session can sign up to be part of the Steering Committee, a group of 5-10 people who will define the cooperative business purpose, its future ownership structure and what criteria need to be met to become an owner. Members will help determine how decisions are made, create a business plan, register the business with the state, finance and fundraise, as well as attract member-owners and customers! Stipends for this work will be available.

BE AN ADVISOR!

Others who want to help advise and steward the project can sign up for the Advisory Committee, a group made up of people with diverse skills and lived experience who will assist the Steering Committee through the business development process, and provide expertise and guidance. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information email the CFC Support Team at LewistonCFC@gmail.com or call the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center at 207-513-3848 and leave a message indicating your interest in joining, or learning more about the Community Food Center development.

BACKGROUND

The vision for the Community Food Center emerged through the multi-stakeholder Local Foods Local Places Community Planning process that took place in October 2019. A feasibility study conducted by the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) and the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center solidified the initial vision. In May 2021, the City of Lewiston was awarded a $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhood grant to increase the quality of life for Downtown communities. The Choice Implementation plan designates space for the Center on the ground floor of a new 60+ multi-unit housing structure to be built on Pine Street next to Kennedy Park. The CFC is a part of the overall plan to enhance the health and wellness of the community.