Maine Students Take Action to End Hunger
Students from Maine’s seven community colleges recently donated $100,000 in food and funds to food relief organizations across the state, including $23,317 and 1,015 pounds of food to Good Shepherd Food-Bank.
Eastern Maine Community College and Central Maine Community College made the generous donation to the Food-Bank as part of Graduation: Can Due, an effort by the college’s student senates to recognize the support it has received from the people of Maine.
Thank you to the students who helped make this important contribution to assist Maine’s needy!
Grainger Foundation chooses GSFB
The Grainger Foundation, based upon the recommendation of John Testa, local branch manager at Grainger’s Portland facility, recently donated $5,000 to Good Shepherd Food-Bank.
“We are proud to be helping Good Shepherd Food-Bank with this donation,” said Testa. “We look forward to supporting the Food-Bank in ways beyond just this donation today.”
Mr. Testa presented the donation to the Food-Bank’s executive director, Rick Small, at the Food-Bank’s main location in Auburn on May 12.
“The support of local businesses and organizations is vital,” commented Small. “So generous donations like the one from the Grainger Foundation will help the Food-Bank address the growing need of Maine’s hungry.”
The gift will help provide 24,000 meals for those struggling with hunger. The Food-Bank works with a network of more than 600 partner agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens and after school programs, to reach 70,000 Mainers every month.
Renewing Support to GSFB
Hammond Lumber Company recently held its Annual Contractor Show at the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday, May 5. The last two years, Hammond has chosen Good Shepherd Food-Bank as the recipient of funds raised during the show. This year, donations made by show attendees totaled $1,100 – enough to provide 5,280 meals to Mainers in need.
Thank you to Hammond Lumber Company and show attendees who generously donated to the mission of the Food-Bank!
Weight Watchers of Maine
Weight Watchers of Maine recently presented the Food-Bank’s director of development, Christine Force, with a donation for $6,000. Representing the pounds lost by individual members of Weight Watchers, the presentation was made during their state wide meeting at the Clarion Hotel on April 4.
"Stamp Out Hunger" Results 2009
One in eight Americans is struggling with hunger today. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 36.2 million Americans live in food insecure households, and approximately one in every three of these Americans is a child.
The Food-Bank received more than 9,000 pounds of food from Lewiston-Auburn letter carriers for the Stamp out Hunger food drive, held Saturday, May 9. Created 17 years ago by the National Association of Letter Carriers, this event is the largest single-day food drive and provides much need nonperishable food items for food banks across the country. Residents were asked to donate items by leaving them next to their mailboxes for their letter carrier to collect.
The Auburn Post Office collected 4,387 pounds food, and the Lewiston branch, with the help of a local Dollar Tree store, collected 4,631 pounds of food. Thank you to everyone in the community who participated by donating.
Maine Credit Union League
The Lewiston and Auburn branches of the Maine Credit Union League recently visited Good Shepherd Food-Bank to make a $600 donation.
The donation, part of the Credit Union’s Ending Hunger Campaign, was presented to the Food-Bank’s development director, Christine Force, on April 28. Thank you to the Lewiston and Auburn branches and to the greater Maine Credit Union League.
Many Hands Harvest Initiative
Creating Sustainable Relationships
Partnering with Local Farmers to Provide for Agencies
Last year dozens of volunteers helped the Food-Bank with its gleaning program, getting fresh, nutritious and locally grown produce on the tables of those in need in Maine. An ancient practice of hand-gathering crops remaining in fields after harvest, gleaning reduces waste and provides nutritious produce for those in need.
Because of generous farmers and volunteers, last year the Food-Bank gathered more than 11,000 pounds of corn, green beans, apples, broccoli, and other delicious greens – all for free.
This year the Food-Bank is expanding its gleaning program, the Many Hands Harvest Initiative. We’re partnering with 4H Clubs, community gardens, and additional organizations by providing grants to those willing to grow directly for their local food pantries. We aim to nurture sustainable relationships between local farms and our network of partner agencies serving every county in Maine.
Are you a farmer or community organization interested in partnering with the Food-Bank? Contact us to learn more:
Jason Hall, Director of Agency Relations: jhall@gsfb.org, (207) 782-3554 ext 136
Jeremy Hammond, Agency Relations Program Coordinator: jhammond@gsfb.org, (207) 782-3554 ext 144
