Heros from Maine

Meet Bria White at an interview with Sara Soka in her hometown library. Bria is the guru who connects abundant food sitting on shelves with hungry people in Maine.

She started her life journey as a 3^rd grader writing her obituary and said that she would win a 'National Medal for Solving World Hunger. After college, she worked at the Preble Street, a Portland organization creating solutions for homelessness, hunger and poverty. She became frustrated seeing problems that seemed unsolvable. Her path took her to rural India where deforestation depleted crops and farmers no longer could grow food for their families let alone for their community and livelihood. She realized that our system might be broken but at least we have a system. We have food – We have hungry people – We just need transportation - We have the Infrastructure – Collaborative towns can make it work – Brilliant!

Meet Adam Burk a change agent, intrapreneur (yes you read that correctly he is a person within a large organization working to understand/explore people who work in innovative roles), TEDx organizer, permaculturalist, and sustainable community health program coordinator. Here he is at Catch a Piece of Maine explaining to us that local sustainably caught lobster was used for the REAL school student chef event because many students haven't tried lobster and it is a staple in Maine.

He met Bria many years ago also working at Preble Street. Since then they both have accomplished incredible feats, and had the opportunity to collaborate again through CPPW. Adam is passionate about increasing food literacy at schools and within his community. He tells a story of 2 meals. The first meal is his typical childhood meal he would have with his mother of meat and potatoes, meat shipped from who knows where, processed and packaged with who knows what and potatoes from Idaho. The second meal is one he had last night with his wife, with fresh squash that they grew in their garden and 'Russian Wedding Garlic'. The garlic is called Russian Wedding because the woman who he purchased this species of Russian garlic from got it on her wedding day and then named it appropriately. He encourages everyone to ask the question of where their food is from, what is the story of their food. If you don't know where your food came from, who handled it before you ate it - start asking!

Meet Debbie and Dana, a couple who donate a whole day a month to loading their truck full of food and dropping it off at churches and food shelters all over Healthy Lakes County. Dana lost his job a couple years ago and started making and selling hot sauce in order to pay for fuel to drive the truck, put more money into the food shelters and feed hungry Mainers. They invited us into their home (here is Debbie with her puppy) and Dana gave us hot sauce in exchange for beautiful cheese that Sara brought from WI. Dana and Debbie store overstocked food in their home and whenever a food shelter supply is low they will drive over to help out and provide their emergency supply! They are truly amazing, soft spoken heros.

We realized that this work we do is truly inspiring. We meet such passionate people and get to know them with ‘boots to the ground’. We can’t fly into a community and expect to be able to assist them without knowing their struggles, goals and most importantly what makes them come alive. Communities truly appreciate when we immerse ourselves in the place, understand a bit of their culture, and exchange a bit of our culture.

I am so proud that I work at a place where cultural exchange is not only a value but also implemented.

I just really feel honored to have been able to have this experience – Thank You