Relief for Fort Kent Area Flood Victims
May 1, 2008 - When Good Shepherd Food-Bank heard of the recent flooding crisis in Fort Kent and surrounding areas, it was “all hands on deck” at the Good Shepherd Food-Bank's warehouse in Auburn, Maine. A tractor trailer was quickly loaded with more than 30,000 pounds of food supplies and water to get help to the many who were displaced from their homes, without electricity or food, and to help the emergency workers in the area as well. Food bank drivers were on the road within hours, bringing ready-to-eat type foods, soups, canned meat, pastas, precooked items, protein items, and easily prepared foods. Careful attention was given to pack items that could provide good nutrition considering the possible lack of cooking power and/or water. Plenty of bottled water was included in the delivery and another 35,000 pounds of food left on Friday, to arrive in the area early Saturday morning.
Good Shepherd Food-Bank Agency Relations Director, Jason Hall, said “As soon as we heard about the flooding, we all knew what to do and everyone sprung into action.”
Catholic Charities in Caribou offered to help receive and warehouse some of the product for distribution to local areas. Jason Hall, and food bank employee Mark Bucher are on site and have been making trips using a smaller van to bring product into towns where the roads couldn’t accommodate the tractor trailer truck.
Jason Hall called the food bank office on Friday morning and said it’s no wonder food bank employees often say that their work is “more than food” “What we’re seeing and hearing from folks here is our help is bringing a degree of hope and comfort to those who are facing desperate situations right now. And we’ve assured them, we’ll continue to send as much help as we’re able in the coming weeks ahead.”
Food-Bank's Gift Seeds Hope for Bangor Residents
To better serve increasing need for Bangor families who struggle to put food on their tables, Good Shepherd Food-Bank (GSFB) presented an upright freezer to the Seeds of Hope Food Pantry recently. The event was celebrated on Valentine's day at Good Shepherd Food-Bank's Brewer facility. Isaac Mann, Director of the Ohio Street, Bangor pantry received the food-bank's gift and said the freezer's capacity to hold 600 pounds of food will enable Seeds of Hope Food Pantry to store & distribute meats & other frozen product that until now, was not an option for the pantry.
Mann said "Community needs continue to be on the rise and people are making the choice to heat or eat right now. We're distributing between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds of food each week and we continue to see new faces seeking our help. We're thrilled to be able to provide meats and protein items that will make a significant difference to so many families in our community."
Good Shepherd Food-Bank said their ability to make this gift is directly attributed to Mainers who gave generously throught the holiday season. The food-bank's work is carried out in local communities by the dedicated services of partner agencies.
Good Shepherd's Brewer facility began its operation in 1999 and now provides food to more than 130 agencies in the North East part of Maine. In 2007, over one million meals were provided to agencies in the greater Bangor region. Overall, more than 10.4 million pounds of food was supplied to more than 600 agencies throughout the state. Other types of programs supported by the food bank include soup kitchens, group and foster homes, homeless and abuse shelters, and many programs for children and the elderly.
Pictured: From Left: GSFB's Brewer Warehouse Manager, Dan Holmes, Isaac Mann , Director, Seeds of Hope Food Pantry, and Michel Kreder, GSFB Marketing Manager.
Backpack Program Helps More Children
Les Stanwood, Backpack Coordinator for The Maine Sea Coast Mission's "EdGE" program, is committed to helping meet the huge challenge of providing meals to underprivileged children during the school year and appreciates the extra help they received recently.
The EdGE program, name for the Ed Greaves Education Centers, is a member agency of Good Shepherd Food-Bank, and provides in-school, after school, and summer programs for middle school aged children throughout Washington County. The goal of EdGE is to improve academic performance, increase confidence, and build character amoung the youth they serve. One part of the EdGE program is a discreetly organized back-pack program which allows a child to bring home a pack filled with food, supplied by the Maine Sea Coast Mission and Good Shepherd Food-Bank.
Each Friday, during school months, specific children are given these backpacks filled with kid-friendly foods. Each week, approximately sixteen children are helped through this program. more>
