PORTLAND — After learning some of the statistics around food insecurity, including that it impacts one in five Maine children, Nate Hanscom decided to tackle the problem at the local level.
For his Eagle Scout project, Hanscom has put together a rock concert to support the food pantry at Lyman Moore Middle School.
Called “Music for Moore Food,” the event will take place Friday, June 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the 171 Auburn St. school. The price of admission is at least one nonperishable food item.
Hanscom, a sophomore at Casco Bay High School, attended Lyman Moore, where he said he witnessed the good the school food pantry does.
“It has a special place in my heart,” Hanscom said. “Food insecurity is a big problem, and not a ton of people realize how often it happens in Maine, but there are some shocking statistics about it.”
Hanscom said the school-based food pantry helps students, their families, and the North Deering community, which is why he wanted to help out.
The pantry was started in 2014, by a group of students who wanted to address the problem of food insecurity among the student population.
Since then, it has grown and expanded outside the school, with the addition of an online ordering system that students can access anonymously.
Hanscom has been involved in scouting for the past eight years and said what he most enjoys are “the friendships and the small moments.” He belongs to Troop 1, which meets at the Stevens Avenue Congregational Church.
The concert will consist of four, 25-minute sets by four student-led bands. “All the bands are pretty diverse, musically speaking, with styles ranging from jazz to punk,” he said.
Some of the bands include students from Casco Bay and Portland high schools, and one of them also has members from Lyman Moore Middle School.
Hanscom plays guitar and sings in one of the bands, a punk trio called The Chives. The other bands include the Green Steps, a jazz duo; the RootBros, a rhythm and blues band with funk influences, and the Fletcher-Bachman band, which plays classic rock and roll.
In terms of the food items the Lyman Moore pantry needs most, Hanscom said “really, anything helps.”
However, he also suggested that concert goers focus on “more essential stuff, like canned fruits and vegetables and beans, pasta or pancake mix. Toiletries are also appreciated.”
Because of a School Department policy, Hanscom’s project can’t accept monetary donations. But he said direct donations to the pantry would be “greatly appreciated.”
Anyone who wishes can send a check to Lyman Moore Middle School, 171 Auburn St., Portland, ME 04103.
Hanscom said he hopes attendees “just have a fun time enjoying local music, while supporting a great cause.” He said that refreshments will also be available for purchase.
“I hope lots of people come out,” he said. “It should be a good time.”
Kate Irish Collins can be reached at 780-9097 or kcollins@theforecaster.net. Follow Kate on Twitter: @KIrishCollins.
Nate Hanscom, now a sophomore at Casco Bay High School, is putting on a rock concert to benefit the food pantry at Lyman Moore Middle School in Portland. The event is Hanscom’s Eagle Scout project.
The food pantry at Lyman Moore Middle School is heavily used by students and their families. Now a former student is putting on a rock concert to benefit the pantry.
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