WESTBROOK — The School Department will receive funding from Full Plates Full Potential to make it easier for students to get breakfast at school.

The $1,200 donation was part of a larger announcement Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the Middle School where Full Plates Full Potential accepted a $50,000 donation from Hannaford to help end child hunger in Maine. The Hannaford donation was made as part of its Chef’s Table Program.

The money for Westbrook will go towards the purchase of a remote point-of-sale system so students can order breakfast from their classrooms, making it more accessible. Students who receive breakfast – free or paid – will be able to order it the classrooms rather than having to go to the cafeteria to make the purchase.

Justin Alfond, a former state senator from Portland, co-founded Full Plates Full Potential in 2015. The organization says roughly one in five children in Maine are not getting the food they need.

Alfond said he expects Westbrook School Nutrition Director Mary Emerson will apply for additional Full Plates Full Potential funding for additional projects as the school year continues. Over the summer, the organization provided funding to wrap a van for the school nutrition department to use to deliver free meals to several locations in the city to ensure children were being over the school break.

Last year, 57 percent of students across Westbrook’s five schools qualified for the free and reduced lunch program, Emerson said, and she expects the number to rise this school year.

Alfond said Hannaford has been an “incredible” partner in the success of Full Plates Full Potential and has helped the organization fund nutrition initiatives in all 16 of Maine’s counties.

“That $50,000 is going to change the lives of many children and families across the state,” Alfond said.

Eric Blom, Hannaford’s director of external communications, said Westbrook was the right place to make the announcement of the donation to Full Plates Full Potential.

“Westbrook does wonderful work reaching children that otherwise may go without,” he said. “We are pleased to come to Westbrook and highlight the need both in his community and throughout the state.”

Michael Kelley can be reached at 780-9106 or [email protected] or on Twitter @mkelleynews.

Full Plates Full Potential co-founder Justin Alfond and Chef’s Table Program chefs  Kerry Altiero and David Turin look on at Westbrook Middle School Oct. 24 as Eric Blom of Hannaford speaks about Hannaford’s $50,000 donation.