Sen. Duson presents Legislative Sentiment to Portland Girl Scout Gold Award recipient

On May 13, 2025, Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jill C. Duson, D-Portland, welcomed Nora Hanscom of Portland and her family to the Maine Senate to present Nora with a legislative sentiment. Nora recently earned her Gold Award, the highest, most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, for her project to reduce food insecurity in the Greater Portland area through outreach, education and implementation.

“Our district is home to Maine’s next young leaders, and Nora is a shining example. Her work to help her peers connect with food resources and educate them about food insecurity is remarkable and made a real difference in Portland Schools,” said Sen. Duson. “Knowing our community welcomes and benefits from New Mainers, Nora also had the information translated into seven different languages for immigrant families. Throughout her time working on this project and in Girl Scouts, Nora developed valuable skills in leadership, public speaking, project management and planning, as well as cultural awareness. Nora’s commitment to community and serving others at her age is inspiring and I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes next.”

Nora achieved her Gold Award through her work aimed at reducing food insecurity at Portland High School. Her project addressed the stigma around food donation programs, specifically the Locker Project, a popular program that shares 50,000 pounds of healthy food monthly throughout the Greater Portland area. Nora’s project included creating flyers, posters and videos, working with clubs at school, her teachers and the Multilingual and Multicultural Center. She also moved the location of The Locker Project’s food table and spread the word on social media and in-person outreach.