University of Maine Cooperative Extension is hosting a five-week Eat Well Volunteer Training beginning May 9 at the Hancock County Extension Office, 63 Boggy Brook Road, Ellsworth. The training will meet weekly on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. until June 6.

Kate Yerxa, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) coordinator and Extension professor, and Kathy Savoie, Extension professor, will teach the course. The training will prepare volunteers to educate food pantry patrons about cooking with local produce, food safety and healthy eating during food pantry visits. Participants who complete the training, as well as 30 hours of community service in local food pantries, will obtain Eat Well Volunteer status and ServSafe Food Handler certification.

The $70 training fee covers food costs, training materials and the ServSafe Food Handler certification. There is limited financial assistance available. To register for the course, visit the Hancock County Eat Well Volunteer website by April 12. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.667.8212; leah.mccluskey@maine.edu.