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Last updated on May 9, 2008

We work with Maine communities to end hunger. We are many voices with one goal: to end hunger now. Our network builds strong partnerships for sustainable programs and advocacy for consistent policies on a federal, state and local level.

Our vision is a hunger-free nation, beginning in the state of Maine, where every human being has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life.

Description:
We view hunger as a community issue. Hunger is a gateway issues to related issues such as employment, education and health. It is critical to address community issues as a whole rather than treat them as unrelated issues with isolated solutions. It's not about a lack of food or resources, there are plenty of both. It is about how we treat each other as human beings and organize our communities.

PARTNERS asserts that hunger will end through communities. The solutions are not just more food or better government programs, the answers are found within the dynamics of each community.

PARTNERS' goal is to have by 2015 a critical number of communities actively working on ending hunger. Once a critical number of communities are actively engaged in ending hunger we believe it will reach a "tipping point" and naturally spread throughout the state and create the moral and political will to end hunger.

PARTNERS' provides leadership and coordination for communities to create effective action plans for addressing hunger at the community level.

History:
It all began with a small group of committed people. There was nothing particularly outstanding or special about us, but we had a common vision--we were dedicated to the goal of ending hunger. To us, ending hunger was the opportunity of a lifetime.

At first we met every Friday night in the basement of a bank. Slowly ideas began to bubble up and a philosophy began to develop:

We would start a new organization that would not replicate what was already being done.
We would design our organization with a priority for learning and a commitment to discovering a path that would lead us to the end of hunger.
We would organize ourselves to discover and operate consistent with the values and principles of ending hunger.
We would be more committed to our ultimate goal and mission than to any structures, programs, or projects we created along the way.
Founded as Hand To Hand in 1984 by our executive director, Charlie Frair, we began by leading fundraising workshops. We led 120 fundraising workshops for 1500 individuals and non-profit agencies. Through these workshops, participants raised over $500,000 for hunger organizations.

In 1986, we launched Ending Hunger Week with 42 non-profit organizations in Maine. A week-long project every November, it is designed to support non-profit organizations in raising both funds and awareness about hunger in their communities. Ending Hunger Week has allowed organizations to powerfully work in partnership and raise funds that supported the growth of their programs. Over the years we have held Ending Hunger Week events in 15 States. In Maine this program raises $1 million annually and brings together nearly 100 non-profit groups from throughout Maine. In 2001, we expanded it to include businesses and educational institutions and Governor Angus King proclaimed November as Maine Ending Hunger Month.

In 1992, we created the Ornament Project. It was originally established as an awareness and fundraising event for PARTNERS, but has developed into a major grass-roots educational program. It now supports over 100 volunteers across the country in speaking about ending hunger in their communities, and annually raises about $20,000.

In 1997, through our constant striving to identify and fill the gap of what is missing to end hunger, we developed a long-term goal to have, by the year 2010, a critical number of communities across the United States taking on ending hunger in their communities. We changed our name at this time to PARTNERS IN ENDING HUNGER to more clearly express what we do. This change transformed us from an organization that was working on ending hunger to an organization that could provide many missing ingredients and thought leadership for ending hunger in the United States.

In 1999, we developed a social research tool designed to assess people's perceptions of hunger, something that had never been done before. In Maine we discovered that people thought hunger was a "very serious problem" at the national level. However, at the local level, hunger was of little concern.

In 2001, PARTNERS' became the first organization to determine and declare a numerical definition for when hunger has ended! We are currently announcing our definition to the ending hunger community.
Over the years, PARTNERS IN ENDING HUNGER has been a catalyst for raising more than $24 million dollars for the work of ending hunger! We are currently offering educational courses, consulting and conferences to share our knowledge and support to communities across the United States. Rather than implementing a particular solution, Partners provides the strategic thinking, knowledge and training that support communities in developing their own solutions for ending hunger. As a strategic organization PARTNERS continues to learn and evolve to meet the changing face of hunger in our country.

PARTNERS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable corporation and is audited annually by an independent auditing firm. Almost all of PARTNERS' income comes from contributions made by individuals.

Contact person: Dianne Holcomb, Executive Director, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (207) 553-2058

Address:

309 Cumberland Avenue - Suite 206 Portland, ME 04101 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.endhungernow.org

Directions:

We are located in downtown Portland in the Avesta Housing Building directly across from the Portland Public Market. We are on the second floor. Please call if you need additional information.   Nearest Bus Stop: The Metro Pulse - Elm Street and Cumberland Avenue

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