Systems Change
At Gather to Grow we recognize that people, like plants, need a nourishing environment in order to grow and thrive.
In addition to offering programs that build capacity and address immediate needs, we employ strategies that transform the systems shaping our community’s health, equity, and resilience. We believe this work must be led by and integrated with our community. Together, we:
Pursue Collective Action & Impact
We lead and participate in cross-sector collaborations that align resources and strengthen our food system—nourishing a thriving community and contributing to neighborhood revitalization.
Strengthen Community Assets
We incubate community-driven projects and organizations to fill unmet needs and inspire cross-sector change. We support initiatives that ensure long-term, equitable access to food and land, and we invest in gardens and green spaces that can be protected for future generations.
Advance Community Planning and Policy Strategies
We engage in strategic planning and policy development that centers food justice and health equity, helping to create a more just, resilient, and connected Lewiston-Auburn.
Address Structural Barriers
We work to dismantle systemic injustices—like racism and classism—that perpetuate poverty and food insecurity, advocating for change at both local and structural levels.
Support Local Agriculture
We strengthen connections between neighbors and local food producers, integrating agriculture into community and economic development efforts and supporting a more sustainable, accessible food system.
Gather shared stories.
“Gather to Grow is a light, a beacon, and a melting pot of cultures and perspectives.”
– Program Supporter
Our Community Impact
Gather to Grow serves as a convenor and catalyst for community-led change, sparking collaborative initiatives that continue to create lasting impact across Lewiston-Auburn.
Androscoggin Gleaners
Founding partner of regional gleaning initiative
Auburn Community Gardens Initiative
Founder and member of coordination group for the creation and maintenance of the community gardens in Auburn
Good Food Council of Lewiston-Auburn
Founder and member of the first Food Council in Maine; continue to provide leadership
Good Food Bus mobile market
Co-founder of the state’s only mobile market project
Healthy Neighborhoods Planning Council
Co-lead a three-year planning process to identify community-led strategies to address social determinants of health and helped found the Council.
Lewiston Auburn Community Market (LACM)
Ongoing advisor for a multi-stakeholder cooperative community food center model
Lewiston Farmers’ Market
Co-founder and former manager of the Lewiston Farmers’ Market; helped establish the first market-wide EBT program in the state in 2004
Local Foods, Local Places Action Plan
Co-lead and initiator of an ongoing regional plan for a strong local food system and economy
Maine Network of Community Food Councils
Co-founder and long-time fiscal sponsor , supporting local food councils across the state.
Maine Harvest Bucks
One of five founding partners leading the Maine Local Food Action Network that helped secure federal funding for and create the state wide “Maine Harvest Bucks” nutrition incentive program
Network of community and school gardens and growing spaces
Gather to Grow seeks to address inequities in access to the land, resources, and knowledge to grow food and maximizes impact by locating gardens in the urban core, at public housing complexes, and at schools where children spend most of their time.
