Local Bank Helps Local "Banks"
Augusta, ME - With Spring fast approaching, Mark L. Johnston, President and CEO of Kennebec Savings Bank (KSB), announced that the bank has made a $10,000 donation to Good Shepherd Food Bank in support of 32 food pantries in Kennebec County this week.
A recent survey conducted by Good Shepherd Food-Bank and Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, reported that in Maine, more than 47 percent of client households are experiencing very low food security—or hunger. The survey results became the impetus for the Bank’s decision to help so early in the year. “We usually start planning our Good Shepherd gift in the Fall,” said Johnston. “The recent findings of the survey certainly motivated us to make this donation now, when it is most needed,” he said.
According to the survey, an estimated 36,800 people in the state receive emergency food assistance each week from a food pantry, soup kitchen, or other agency served by Good Shepherd Food-Bank. Previously the Food-Bank estimated that it served 18,000 people each week.
Food-Bank executive director, Rick Small, called the gift a small miracle. “January through April tend to be the slowest months for donations to food banks,” he said. “To have this major contribution so unexpectedly, well, it’s a blessing.” Small says that the needs continue to grow and obtaining sufficient food donations is becoming an increasing challenge.
According to the Food-Bank’s website, the organization can “stretch each dollar donated to more than $12.50 of food for a family!” That turns $10,000 into the equivalent of $125,000.
Letters were mailed to all Good Shepherd Food-Bank member food pantries in Kennebec County this week. Credits to each food pantry will be based on numbers served and will range from $100-$1,500.
Food pantries to benefit from the gift include:
- Augusta Angel Food Network
- The Apostolic Food Pantry
- Augusta Food Pantry – Salvation Army
- Augusta Food Bank
- Bread of Life Ministries
- Belgrade - Rome Special Needs
- River Rock Christian Fellowship Food Pantry
- Grace Baptist Church Food Pantry
- China Community Food Pantry
- Clinton Community Food Bank
- Loving Caring Hands Food Pantry
- Fayette Baptist Church
- Chrysalis Place/Gardiner Food Pantry
- Hallowell Food Bank Inc
- Litchfield Community Food Bank
- Monmouth United Church Soup Kitchen
- Monmouth United Church Food Pantry
- First Baptist Church Food Pantry
- North Monmouth Food Pantry
- Oakland United Methodist Church Food Bank
- Lord's Cupboard Food Pantry
- South Gardiner Baptist Church Food Pantry
- Vassalboro Food Station Food Pantry
- Greater Waterville Area Food Pantry
- Windsor Food Bank
- St. John's Food Pantry - Corpus Christie Parish
- Hot Meal Kitchen Inc
- Winthrop Food Pantry
Community Reinvestment Officer, George Diplock, feels strongly that this move is important. Diplock, a longtime board member of the Augusta Food Bank, understands firsthand what food pantries in central Maine area dealing with. “We hope that this gesture eases the burden for these food pantries and the people who access them, and we also hope that it brings about more support and awareness regarding this crisis in our own communities,” he said.
Because it has no stockholders, the mutual savings bank is able to budget approximately $500,000 yearly in donations it calls “Community Dividends” which it reinvests through hundreds of community organizations and programs. According to Laura Hudson, Vice President and Marketing Officer, who manages the Community Dividends Program, “Commitments and requests already have expended 80% of the Bank’s donations and we are only in the first quarter,” she said. “Given the nature of the issue of hunger in our area and economic conditions that have compounded the issue, we needed to act quickly.” The Bank has given a major contribution to local food pantries for the past five years, historically in the Fall. “We are passionate about making sure that our communities have sufficient resources to serve those in need.”
Kennebec Savings Bank is a $721 million state-chartered mutual savings bank with a team of 93 employees and branches located in Augusta, Waterville, Winthrop and Gardiner. Kennebec Savings Bank is proud to be Kennebec County’s community bank since 1870 and the bank where “our people make the difference.”
