Rep Chellie Pingree to visit Augusta FM at Mill Park

ADVISORY: TUESDAY—Pingree to visit summer meal site in Portland and farmers market in Augusta with top Obama Administration official
Contact: 
Andrew Colvin, (202) 527-4681 (Pingree)
Eddie Ortega, (617) 699-7283 (USDA)
WHAT: Congresswoman Chellie Pingree will join the top Obama Administration official in charge of federal nutrition programs—USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon—to see on-the-ground efforts to help low-income Mainers access nutritious food.
WHERE AND WHEN: 
Both events on Tuesday, August 9 (The visits are timed with the 17th annual National Farmers Market Week, which runs August 7-13.)
12-12:30 p.m. Unity Village, 24 Stone Street, Portland
The Unity Village summer meals site is part of Portland’s summer meals program, providing free lunches to kids and teens ages 18 and under, and also offers free books, games, crafts and other activities to keep students engaged when school is out for summer.  The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) funds the Summer Meal Service program.
2:45-3:30 p.m. Augusta Farmers Market, 1 Water Street and Northern Avenue, Augusta
Located along the Kennebec River, this farmers market has vendors from across Central Maine and accepts SNAP/EBT payments from consumers.  FNS administers the federal SNAP food assistance program.
WHO: 
• Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
• Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, as well as a native of Portland and former Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services
• Children as well as representatives from several organizations working together to provide the summer meal service at Unity Village in Portland
• Vendors and consumers at the Augusta Farmers Market, as well as Leigh Hallet, Executive Director of the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets
BACKGROUND: 
Concannon is in charge of a number of federal programs that help thousands of Mainers access nutritious food, including SNAP (formerly Food Stamps); the National School Lunch, Breakfast, and Summer Meal Service programs; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
Pingree has been a longtime advocate for federal nutrition programs and has led efforts to allow consumers to use their EBT cards at farmers markets.
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