Dozens of Harpswell residents are benefiting from a new collaboration between Harpswell Aging at Home and the local fishing community as food prices and insecurity are on the rise.
Harpswell is blessed with one of the largest fishing fleets in the state. Cundy’s Harbor lobsterman and Harpswell Select Board member Matt Gilley wanted to find a way to share some of the catch coming into town docks with residents.
The town’s Fisheries Committee, which is comprised mainly of local fisherman and owners of marine-related businesses, proposed a collaboration with Harpswell Aging at Home to help our neighbors by providing valuable protein sources, including lobster, scallops, oysters, clams and fish of all kinds.
The next question was how to process seafood quickly and safely while preserving its fresh-caught quality, and how to distribute it. Harpswell Aging at Home proved to be a perfect fit. With Julie Moulton leading a group of Meals in a Pinch volunteers who prepare more than 250 meals for 63 families twice a month — more than 6,000 meals in 2025 alone — the organization was well suited to meet the challenge.
Volunteers agreed to gather when a donation comes in to safely process and store it. Harpswell Aging at Home cooks can then sign up to use the seafood to make entrees for Meals in a Pinch.
Gilley, who is the Select Board’s liaison to the Fisheries Committee, said, “This is a simple way to provide food security. The fishing community signs up for a particular month and will drop off fresh seafood for HAH volunteers to process and turn it into future meals.”
Alison Hawkes owns Hawkes’ Lobster in Cundy’s Harbor, where cherished family heritage continues to thrive. “Small communities taking care of each other is something the fishing community regularly does,” Hawkes said.
She speaks from experience. Most Harpswell fundraising events approach local fishing businesses for support, and they always give. Hawkes already has donated more than 90 pounds of live lobster this winter. Lobster reaches its highest value in the winter, but businesses donate because they know there is a need.
Seafood donations are not limited to larger Harpswell wharfs and businesses. “Magic is happening in Harpswell,” said Sammy Bohan, vice chair of the Fisheries Committee. She runs a small oyster farm. Any donation she makes to the program comes out of her family’s income. “It is what we do. We are there to help other people,” she said.
Jerry Leeman III, a longtime fisherman who now leads an organization that advocates for them, touted the healthy aspects of harvest from the sea. “Spread the word: Unlike farm-raised, this is wild, natural protein,” Leeman said.
In the experienced hands of Harpswell Aging at Home’s Food Team and its army of volunteers, this healthy seafood is used in many different meals, all delicious. Storage issues are solved with Harpswell Aging at Home’s new Freezer Program, a collaboration with the town, the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, and the Harpswell Santa Fund. The network of neighborly connections continues to grow in Harpswell.
Katie Neal, Harpswell’s General Assistance administrator, is the liaison between the Fisheries Committee and Harpswell Aging at Home’s food program. Email her at recreation@town.harpswell.me.us with questions or attend the next Fisheries Committee meeting.
More news from HAH
Durable medical equipment: Harpswell Aging at Home is collaborating with the town to manage a program that accepts donations of durable medical equipment and distributes it to residents in need. To donate or request an item such as a walker or shower chair, call HAH volunteer Peggy Rousseau at 207-837-8789.
Bereavement support group: If you are coping with the loss of a loved one, whether a family member or a friend, call Sarah Beneke at 330-414-4825 for information about the benefits of a 12-week bereavement support group.
