The objective of the project is to ensure that Muslim students who observe halal have equitable access to Maine’s universal school meals. As far as we know, the program will be the first of its kind to offer third-party certified halal meals to K-12 public school students, something that parents and local imams believe will be critical to building community trust in and transparency throughout the program. As a third-party oversight body, our partners at IFANCA (the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America) will develop training programs for school nutrition staff, establish infrastructure for quality management, and support with sourcing affordable, certified halal meats, ingredients, and pre-packaged meals that meet USDA guidelines.

FPPS is so excited to work with an amazing team to support this work! Thank you to not only Bangor Savings Bank, but also to our colleagues at PPS, Food Fuels Learning, the Cumberland County Food Security Council, IFANCA, The Westbrook Public Schools, the South Portland Public Schools, and Food For All Services, and Cadeau Consulting.