What LOCKER PROJECT does

Locker Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 47-1257754) headquartered in South Portland, Maine, that addresses child hunger in Cumberland County by distributing nourishing food to food-insecure children and their families. Founded in 2014 and operating with approximately 9 employees, the organization runs four primary programs: Take-Home Food Programs, School & Agency Partnerships, Fresh Food Events, and a Food Rescue Program. The Food Rescue Program recovers more than 200,000 pounds of fresh produce, bread, and meat annually from local supermarkets and bakeries, which both reduces food waste and supplies its distribution channels. Through partnerships with public schools (Westbrook Middle School, South Portland Middle School, Portland High School) and social service agencies (Woodfords Family Services), the organization connects roughly 2,500 children with food assistance, against an estimated 50,000 Maine children experiencing food insecurity.

The organization's revenue model consists entirely of charitable contributions: individual donations, corporate sponsorships tiered from $500+ (Partner) to $5,000+ (Sustain) including Hannaford, Allagash Brewing Company, Whole Foods, and Shaw's, foundation grants, community fundraising events, and gifts of stock via Fidelity. It does not sell services or charge beneficiaries. Major operational partners include Good Shepherd Food Bank (supply) and United Way of Southern Maine. The website, built on WordPress with standard plugins (Kadence, Gravity Forms, Yoast SEO, The Events Calendar), supports donation capture, event listings, and newsletter sign-ups; the organization has no proprietary software, mobile application, or AI technology component.

Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven: Locker Project cultivates a regional network of dozens of organizations, hundreds of volunteers, and recurring donors in Greater Portland and Cumberland County, Maine. Marketing is executed through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, an email newsletter, community events (cookbook swaps, pickleball tournaments, brewery fundraisers), press coverage in local outlets (Portland Press Herald, Maine Public, Mainebiz, WGME), and podcast/video interviews with Executive Director Kathryn Sargent. The geographic scope is explicitly limited to Greater Portland and Cumberland County; there is no global footprint claim.

Name

LOCKER PROJECT

Legal name

Locker Project

Website

https://mainelockerproject.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Locker Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in South Portland, Maine that partners with schools and social service agencies in Cumberland County to deliver take-home food, school pantries, and fresh food events to more than 2,500 food-insecure children while rescuing over 200,000 pounds of fresh food annually from local supermarkets and bakeries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Food Assistance Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), Child Nutrition & Meal Programs (CACFP/Snack Programs) (EDACAMAA), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF), School Feeding & Social Protection Partnerships (Conditional Cash Transfers, etc.) (EDADALAL)

Keywords

• Food assistance programs
• Child hunger relief
• Food rescue services
• Community food charity
• School food partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

South Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The nonprofit relies on donations from individuals who support child hunger programs through one-time and recurring gifts.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors at various levels ($500+ to $5,000+) provide financial support including Sustain ($5,000+), Nourish ($1,000+), and Partner ($500+) tiers.
3. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations support operational and program costs.
4. Community Fundraising Events: Events such as pickleball tournaments, cookbook swaps, brewery fundraisers, and sports game community nights generate donations and awareness.
5. Stock Donations: Accepts gifts of stock through Fidelity account.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Locker Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates child hunger relief programs in Greater Portland, Maine. It connects more than 2,500 food-insecure children in Cumberland County with nourishing food through take-home food programs, school and agency partnerships, fresh food events, and a food rescue operation that recovers over 200,000 pounds of fresh produce, bread, and meat annually from local supermarkets and bakeries. Programs are provided free of charge to eligible children and families and are designed to be low-barrier, stigma-free, and environmentally responsible.

Product overview

The Locker Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a food assistance charity, not a technology company. The organization offers a portfolio of social service programs including Take-Home Food Programs, School & Agency Partnerships, Fresh Food Events, and a Food Rescue Program. These programs work together to connect more than 2,500 food-insecure children in Cumberland County, Maine with nourishing food. The organization takes a whole-family approach to child hunger with programs that strive to be low-barrier, stigma-free, and environmentally responsible.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Take-Home Food Programs Low-barrier take-home food programs that prioritize nutrient-dense fresh fruits and vegetables, improving diets, stretching food budgets, and enhancing lifelong health for children and their families in Cumberland County, Maine.
• School & Agency Partnerships Direct partnerships with public schools and social service agencies in Cumberland County, including Westbrook Middle School, South Portland Middle School, Portland High School, and Woodfords Family Services, to connect children at risk of hunger with nutrition through on-site distribution events and referrals.
• Fresh Food Events Community events that distribute fresh produce and healthy staples to families in need, including free farmer's market-style distributions hosted at partner schools every other Friday.
• Food Rescue Program Rescues more than 200,000 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, and meat each year from local supermarkets and bakeries, redirecting surplus food to children at risk of hunger while reducing food waste and its environmental impact.
• Community Food Drive Program Host-a-food-drive program enabling neighbors, friends, churches, schools, and workplaces to collect kid-friendly staples for distribution through Locker Project's network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connects 2,500+ children with nutrition through school and agency partnerships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• HannafordcoreOthersMajor food retailer sponsor at Sustain level ($5,000+) that likely provides food rescue donations and corporate sponsorship support.
• Allagash Brewing CompanycoreOthersCraft brewery sponsor at Sustain level ($5,000+) supporting child hunger programs through donations and community events.
• United Way of Southern MainecoreOthersMajor nonprofit partner at the top tier of supporters, working together to address community needs.
• Good Shepherd Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood bank partner that supplies food resources to Locker Project's distribution programs.
• Whole Foods MarketsupportingOthersNatural foods retailer sponsor at Nourish level ($1,000+) supporting food access programs.
• Orange Bike BrewingsupportingOthersLocal brewery hosts anniversary celebrations and food drives for Locker Project, donating a portion of sales.
• Sopo SeafoodsupportingOthersSouth Portland restaurant hosts community nights with portions of sales supporting Locker Project.
• Second Rodeo CoffeesupportingOthersLocal coffee shop serves as food drive drop-off location.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WhyHunger: National hunger-relief nonprofit supporting community-based food justice organizations. Comparable mission and grassroots partner model; provides resources and grants to direct service organizations like Locker Project.
• Good Shepherd Food Bank: Maine's largest hunger-relief organization and a current strategic partner of Locker Project. Directly comparable as a food bank/distributor addressing child and family food insecurity across Maine, but operates at substantially greater scale and statewide reach.
• Feeding America: National network of 200+ food banks, including Good Shepherd Food Bank in Maine. Comparable food bank/food rescue model at massive scale; relevant as the umbrella infrastructure Locker Project's food rescue work connects into.
• Catholic Charities Maine: Statewide social services organization operating food pantries and emergency assistance programs across Maine. Comparable in mission (food insecurity, family support) but far broader in scope, including housing, refugee services, and behavioral health.

Regional players

• Full Plates Full Potential: Maine-based nonprofit focused on ending childhood hunger through advocacy and school-based nutrition programs. Comparable child-hunger focus and school-based delivery approach, but operates primarily through policy advocacy and grant-making rather than direct food distribution.
• Hunger Free Vermont: Vermont-based statewide hunger-relief advocacy and direct service organization. Comparable child hunger and food security focus; operates in an adjacent New England state with similar rural/urban food access dynamics.

Direct peers

• Wayside Food Programs: Portland-area nonprofit running community meal programs, food pantries, and food rescue initiatives. Directly comparable operating model — local food rescue, fresh food distribution, and community partnerships serving food-insecure populations in the same geography.
• Preble Street: Portland, Maine-based nonprofit providing food, housing, and social services to people experiencing hunger and homelessness. Highly comparable given shared Greater Portland service area, food distribution programs, and focus on low-barrier access for vulnerable populations.
• Community Harvest Project: Regional nonprofit combining food rescue and hunger-relief programming with volunteer-driven fresh produce donations. Directly comparable food rescue + child/family hunger mission, though based in Massachusetts rather than Maine.

Emerging players

• Fair Food Network: National nonprofit working to strengthen community food systems through Double Up Food Bucks and food access programs. Comparable in addressing fresh food access and food insecurity, though more focused on healthy food incentives than direct school distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mainelockerproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/locker-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/lockerprojectmaine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LOCKER PROJECT