One of 5 strategic goals in Maine’s Ending Hunger 2030 roadmap is to “Ensure consistent, easy access to healthy, culturally appropriate food.” In Auburn and Lewiston, each day hundreds of children show up to school too hungry to learn. Many of these students are coming from immigrant households navigating a host of barriers. 15% of Lewiston’s population are New American and nearly 30% of Lewiston students are English Language Learners. A large percentage of the student body is practicing Muslim. Maine’s continuation of universal school meals has improved child nutrition, however for Halal-observing students from low-income refugee and immigrant families, free school meals are not necessarily accessible if Halal options do not exist. Furthermore, although successful steps have been taken to bring education and training about cultural food awareness, the vast majority of school districts around the state are not educated or trained in producing halal compliant, culturally compatible food, or operating a space that maintains halal regulations. Improving access to culturally preferred and Halal foods will lower barriers and reduce stigma in utilizing free meals. Local procurement of these foods will not only help increase economic opportunities for local farmers, but also helps schools incorporate culturally preferred foods into program meals and encourage children to make healthy food choices. This will not be a simple task as schools must balance USDA nutrition requirements for the meals they serve. However, increased capacity, resources, and strategic partnerships can help with efforts. In 2024, Full Plates Full Potential awarded two initiatives funds to pursue projects that would help increase capacity to offer local, culturally preferred foods and Halal meals in Lewiston Auburn schools. A multi school partnership between Auburn and Lewiston will establish a collaborative, regional, school food processing and distribution hub in the Lewiston-Auburn area or a School Based Food Hub. This hub will increase the schools ability to purchase in and prepare foods from local farmers including, small, mid-size and New American owned farms. Potatoes, carrots, butternut squash and apples were all products that were identified that are currently used in high volume from sources outside of Maine that can be transitioned to purchasing locally, processing and storing. Auburn Schools have already been incorporating these foods into meals and have hosted local, cultural meal events with partners such as Isuken Cooperative and Maine Marinara Collaborative. St. Mary’s Nutrition Center and Healthy Androscoggin will provide regular nutrition education and taste test support with the introduction of new foods through the Hub. Another initiative, The Halal Meal Production Hub, spearheaded by Five Pillars Farm will pilot and develop culturally responsive halal certified heat and serve value-added meals using local ingredients that will be provided to schools. The Local Foods Action Plan LA will will help convene Leads of each of these projects as part of the plan and support coordination, deeper collaboration, and the sharing of best practices.