Welcome, Abigail Miller
Please join us in welcoming Abigail (Abby) Miller to the Healthy Acadia team!
Abby joins our SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Team and works to support food security across Hancock County. As a Maine SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator, Abby helps SNAP-eligible households gain knowledge and skills to eat healthily on a limited budget and provides coordination for nutrition education and obesity prevention initiatives across Washington County in accordance with USDA SNAP-Ed guidelines.
Abby studied at the University of Maine (Orono) and is currently working toward nutrition specialist certification.
Abby, what prompted you to join the Healthy Acadia team?
I have watched the incredible work Healthy Acadia has done in our community for years. I have wanted to be a part of these programs that help so many good people. Tara Young (Healthy Acadia Community Health Coordinator) told me about the job that involved teaching people to cook, and it was something I had already been looking to pursue. It was very serendipitous.
What most inspires you about Healthy Acadia's work?
Having a healthy relationship with food, having cooking skills, and making meals on a tight budget is something my own family was centered on growing up. It was a tool that helped me make it in this world when I was on my own, and even more so once I had a family. I feel like everyone should have the opportunity to learn this if they want to. It should be done in ways that are respectful of their individual situations and backgrounds. In the last few decades, the US has been saturated with sanctimonious diet advice paired with super-sized convenience foods and topped off with unobtainable fashion images. It's going to take a lot of heart and effort to do better in ways that last. I feel like I found the right place to do that work, and I'm all in.
What most inspires you on a personal level?
Love for my family and friends.
What is your favorite thing to do, or place to be, in Maine, and why?
Hiking and swimming every summer in and around Acadia with my family and friends. The waterfall trail at Brown Mountain Gate House, and Peterbrook trail in Blue Hill are my favorites.
I have been married to my incredible husband, Robert, for 21 years. We have a beautiful daughter, who is now 14. We chose to move to Maine from across the country, not knowing anyone here, and it was the best decision ever. Our community really is a great place to raise a family.
We have two rescue Aussie dogs, Mathilda and Brisbane. They are complete lunatics. The only thing they love more than skunks is 10-day-old-dead skunks they can roll in. If your animal ever gets sprayed, and you need help, I'm your girl! I can now de-skunk a dog in less than 30 minutes flat.
My bucket list is to step foot on all seven continents with my daughter and husband. We've made it to three so far!