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Dear Friend,
While the
challenges of relieving food insecurity and hunger in Maine, especially
among children and the elderly, continue to escalate, I am amazed by
the generosity of those that continue to support our mission of Feeding
Maine's Hungry. Individuals,
businesses and civic groups are continually finding
endless, creative ways to rally to help us help those that are most in
need.
Recently, we
have been fortunate to receive several grants and funding opportunities
as well as form partnerships that are going to help us work more efficiently,
and ultimately, provide more food with a higher nutritional value to
those that are hungry. This edition of the newsletter
is focused on these special projects. I hope that you will take a few
moments to read each article to learn how we, with the help of many,
are working to improve the service that we provide to those that are
hungry throughout Maine.
One of these
special programs is already taking shape. Through the Maine Farm Initiative,
we have begun to focus our efforts on obtaining locally grown products including
produce and seafood for distribution throughout the state. By doing
this we are not only increasing the nutritional value of the food we
distribute, we are providing a boost to the local economy. Farmers,
fishermen and those that are hungry all benefit from this partnership.
I am grateful
for the support you give and the trust that you instill in Good
Shepherd Food-Bank. Because you chose to partner with us, we provided over 12 million
meals in 2009. That's what I call a real impact!
God bless you,
Rick Small
Executive
Director
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Local Partnerships
Mean More Quality Food
Last summer, the
Food-Bank received a major grant from the JTG Foundation
that will have an enormous impact on the way that we acquire and
distribute food.
Using the funds
from the JTG Foundation grant, the Food-Bank will seek to focus on
opening local food channels, improving the nutritional quality of food
distributed, increasing the amount of food obtain through Maine
resources, and providing economic incentives for Maine farmers, dairy operators
and food processors to partner in the Food-Bank's
mission.
Although we are
still early in the process, several partnerships have already been
formed and the benefits are being felt by our food pantries, soup kitchens
and others that depend on the Food-Bank. Partnerships with Pineland Farms, Nova
Seafood and Cozy Harbor Seafood have provided our
agencies with quality cheeses, Maine shrimp and haddock. The agencies
have been thrilled with the quality of these products and are excited
to see what comes next!
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Cutting
Edge Software will Provide Food-Bank with New Transportation Efficiency
Beginning this
month, all of the Food-Bank's delivery trucks will be equipped with the
UPS Roadnet
System thanks to a grant from the UPS Foundation.
The UPS Roadnet System will help the Food-Bank to increase efficiency
by providing each truck with a set of precise directions for each day's
pick-ups and deliveries.
The cutting-edge
software will recalculate the Food-Bank's existing store donation
routes, seeking the most
efficient and cost-effective scenarios. All of the
trucks in the fleet will be equipped with Roadnet mobile data devices,
allowing the drivers easy access as they update their information after
each store pickup.
In addition to
being able to provide better service to our food donors and agencies,
we anticipate that the UPS Roadnet system will reduce our trucking
costs by providing "best-track"
directions causing a reduction in miles traveled.
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Agency Spotlight
Riverton House Community
Boys & Girls Club
The summer months
are not always fun and games for many children in Maine. When children
are out of school for the summer, they often go without regular, nutritious
meals. But for the children that attend the Riverton House Community
Boys & Girls Club, food is in ample supply because of our
partnership with Good Shepherd Food-Bank.
Each day, when
children arrive to the Riverton House Community Boys & Girls Club,
they are fed a healthy lunch and before they leave for the day each
child receives a snack. During the summer months, more than 400 youth
are served a meal and snack each day they attend the Club equaling more
than 1,600 meals and 1,600 snacks served each week.
One family has
three sisters that attend the Club everyday knowing that they will get
a nutritious meal, have fun and be in a safe place. Many mornings, the
youngest sister, who is six years old, comes into the Clubhouse and
says "I'm hungry." Luckily, there is always a nutritious meal
waiting for her. Most days she is the first child to the dinner table
and the last to get up.
Without the help
of Good Shepherd Food-Bank, it would be impossible to feed all of the
children that attend the Club a full meal and snack each day. We at
Riverton House Community Boys & Girls Club depend on Good Shepherd
Food-Bank to help us continue to serve our members and ensure that
children do not go hungry.
Submitted by:
Tiffanie Panagakos
Riverton /
Sagamore Site Director
Boys & Girls
Club of Southern Maine
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Plant a Row, Provide a Meal
We're calling on
all farmers and backyard gardeners to plant an extra row of fruits and
vegetables this spring. Last year, Good Shepherd Food-Bank distributed over 800,000 lbs
of fresh produce over the growing season thanks, in
part, to donations from local farmers and gardeners.
If you are
interesting in learning more about our "Plant a Row" program,
please contact Nancy Perry at nperry@gsfb.org
or 782-3554 x 109.
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Local
Partnerships Mean More Quality Food
Cutting
Edge Software Provides Food-Bank with New Transportation Efficiency
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Upcoming
Food Drives
March
14, 5 PM - Join
us as the Maine Red Claws take on Iowa in one of the final home
games of the season. The Food-Bank will be on hand to collect
non-perishable food items for distribution throughout Maine. Signed Red
Claws items will be available for raffle with proceeds going to the
Food-Bank!
March
19, 9 AM - 4 PM - Stop by the Shaw's Supermarket in
Westgate Shopping Center to participate in the Casco Bay Sunrise
Rotary Food Drive. Donations will help to feed Mainers who are food
insecure.
April
4, 4 PM - Make plans to attend the Portland
Pirates game on April 4. The Food-Bank will have a donation station at
each of the Civic Center entrances where fans can donate
non-perishable food items. Anyone who donates will receive a ticket
for a future Pirates home game!
May
8 - Join Americans across the country for the Stamp Out
Hunger Food Drive. Just place bags filled with nonperishable food items
next to your mailbox and your letter carrier will pick them up for
delivery to local food banks.
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"Generating" Funds for the Food-Bank
The Lions of Maine
are committed to raising the funds to purchase and install a standby
generator for the Food-Bank. A power outage of more than a few hours
would result in a loss of thousands of pounds of perishable products.
This would be disastrous to the Food-Bank and the thousands of people the
Food-Bank serves each month.
The Lions Club International Foundation has already
committed $75,000 to this project. Eighty-two clubs
throughout at the state are working to meet the remaining goal of
$76,000. Each club will have their own unique fundraisers to help to
reach the goal.
To find the Lions Club in your area, visit www.mainelions.org.
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Did You Know...
During the last
quarter of 2009, the Food-Bank received 93% of its donations from
donors giving less than $100 proving that a regardless the
size of the gift, it will make a difference.
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