Inside Gather's Fight to END Food Insecurity on the Seacoast! (And How the U.S. Government Is Making Their Lives Miserable)

Food insecurity is only worsening in this country.

And Gather, one of the longest running social programs in America, is dedicated to battling this growing problem on the Seacoast.

With a mission to fight food insecurity with innovative solutions and in dignified ways, Gather is a FORCE when it comes to nonprofits on the Seacoast.

In 2024 alone, Gather distributed 1.7 MILLION pounds of food. They served an average of nearly 11,000 people each month, a 25% increase from 2023, and provided 90,000 prepared meals, up 34% from the year prior.

But in 2025, an unstable economy and federal funding cuts are threatening Gather's ability to function at full capacity.

From the Gather headquarters in Portsmouth, Executive Director Anne Hayes and Community Engagement Manager Kate Constantine join the podcast to discuss Gather's mission, the INSANE number of volunteers who step forward every day, how changes at the federal level are affecting their daily operations, Gather's ambitious plans for expansion, their two big June events, how YOU can get involved in the fight against food insecurity, and much more.

CHAPTERS:

• "Seacoast Stories" news and events (00:00)
• Gather's incredible services (01:44)
• Food insecurity on the Seacoast (08:40)
• Gather's massive fleet of volunteers (15:32)
• SPONSORS: Meconi Financial + Holistic & Hormonal (25:40)
• Working in nonprofits (28:23)
• The amazing community support Gather receives (34:10)
• The annual Gather Gala and Fill the Hall! (36:58)
• Advice to younger selves (53:50)

For more info on the annual ⁠Gather Gala⁠ on June 10 and ⁠Fill the Hall⁠ on June 21, please click the prior hyperlinks.

**The next "Seacoast Stories" LIVE PODCAST is on June 19! It's at The Word Barn in Exeter, N.H., and it will feature conversations with Flight House Gym's Jay Collins, Live Freely's Alyssa Pine, and Cup of Joe's Joanna Kelley. To secure tickets, ⁠⁠⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

• For a free lab consultation with Dr. Whitney Elsesser, visit the ⁠⁠Holistic & Hormonal⁠⁠ web site and write "HORMONES" on ⁠⁠the contact page.⁠⁠
• To get started on your financial planning journey, learn more about ⁠⁠Meconi Financial Management & Advisory here.⁠