Expanding the Wabanaki Mobile Food Pantry to bring traditional foods to Maine Tribal communities
Official title: Improving Health Outcomes Through Investigations of Wabanaki Food Systems in Maine
Funded at Wabanaki Health and Wellness · NIH-11379175 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project expands a mobile pantry to deliver fresh and traditional Wabanaki foods and food-skills support to Tribal community members in Maine to help improve health and cultural food access.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wabanaki Health and Wellness NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bangor, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2023 |
| Project end | September 20, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,500,000 |
| NIH project number | 3OT2OD035832-01S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379175 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are Wabanaki Tribal members and residents of the Tribal communities in Maine who want improved access to traditional or locally sourced foods and related food-skills programming.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not live in Wabanaki communities in Maine or whose medical needs require specialized clinical care rather than food-access support are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
From your perspective, the project will grow the Wabanaki Mobile Food Pantry to bring more traditional and locally sourced foods—like fish, fiddleheads, corn, beans, and squash—directly to Wabanaki households and community sites. The team will pair food deliveries with culturally relevant activities, teaching and demonstrations about growing, preparing, and preserving traditional foods. Organizers will work with Tribal members to improve how people view and use food pantry services and to strengthen local food systems and food sovereignty. The effort will track changes in access, knowledge, and community connection as the pantry services expand.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase access to healthier traditional foods, strengthen cultural food practices, and help reduce nutrition-related health problems in Wabanaki communities.
How similar studies have gone: Community food sovereignty programs and mobile pantry efforts have improved food access and diet in other settings, though culturally specific, Tribal-led upscaling like this is less commonly reported.
Where this research is happening
-
Wabanaki Health and Wellness
Bangor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Neptune, Leigh — Wabanaki Health and Wellness
- Study coordinator: Neptune, Leigh
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.