St Mary's Maine Blog

PRESS RELEASE from:      

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    
For more information contact: 
Venus A. Gilley, MS, RD, LD
Chair, Member and Public Relations Committee
207-557-9020

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Augusta, ME – Kirsten Walter, Director of the Nutrition Center of Maine in Lewiston has recently been named as this year’s recipient of the Katherine O. Musgrave Public Service Award. The award is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an individual, organization, or institution for outstanding work in nutrition policy, education, or research. The Maine Nutrition Council (MNC) presents the award each year at its annual spring conference. Kirsten was nominated by her colleague Erin Guay for her advocacy to ensure the availability of safe and healthful foods for all Lewiston and Auburn residents and leading nutrition and food system education efforts statewide.

While a student at Bates College, Kirsten established “Hilltop Community Gardens” at Hillview Apartments, a low income housing complex, as a model for community development and bringing a diverse population together. After graduation in 1999 and with backing from Saint Mary’s Health System, Kirsten spent the next seven years transforming the gardens into a larger, community-wide project called “Lots to Gardens.” The project now includes fifteen gardens and green spaces, programs for children, youth, adults and senior citizens, apartment-side gardens, neighborhood vegetable stands, weekly community meals, monthly cooking and nutrition classes and community nutrition education trainings. She has also spearheaded an effort to assess Lewiston’s food system by identifying barriers to obtaining healthy foods, leveraging new resources to solve identified problems, and determining how to involve the community in each and every aspect, from assessment to solutions.

In collaboration with the Maine Nutrition Network, the United Somali Women of Maine, and other community organizations, Kirsten has taken a leadership role in the Somali Nutrition Education Project which empowers Somali women to spread nutrition messages to others in an oral-based culture. She helped to create the Nutrition Center of Maine, and since 2006, the Center has promoted healthy communities through advocacy and education. The Center focuses on health, hunger, community nutrition, youth development, and sustainable urban agriculture. It is the home of Saint Mary’s Food Pantry, Lots to Gardens, and other community programs, including the Somali Nutrition Initiative.

Kirsten’s work in community health also includes participation on the Boards of the Maine Public Health District Coordinating Council and the Androscoggin County 5 -Year Physical Activity and Nutrition Strategic Planning Committee.

The Maine Nutrition Council, a non-profit organization formed in 1940, is committed to the promotion of healthful nutrition practices. The mission of the MNC is to contribute to the health and well-being of Maine’s citizens through education, research, and advocacy. The Council uses its resources to promote healthful nutrition practices, support education in the areas of food and nutrition, stimulate research in nutrition and physical activity, and promote changes in public attitudes and policies. In 1986, the board established criteria for the Public Service Award, named in honor of the first Maine Nutrition Council chairperson and well-known and admired Maine dietitian and educator, Katherine O. Musgrave, MS, RD, LD, and Professor Emerita of the University of Maine.

For more information about the Maine Nutrition Council or becoming a member, visit the MNC website at www.mainenutritioncouncil.org.