UNUM Goes Over the Top to Help Good Shepherd Food-Bank
When UNUM's 312 employees of the Portland Regional Benefits Operations learned of Good Shepherd's increased need during summer months, particularly for kid-friendly foods, they took the challenge to form a fun competition among their staff members & teams. Their July "Focus on Fruit" Food Drive resulted in a total of 2,210 cans of various types of fruit collected in an office designated as "The Fruit Cube".
In addition to monetary gifts of $602 from employees, UNUM also contributed a donation of $1,000. Maria Long, Sr. Clinical Consultant for UNUM said: "Words cannot express the satisfaction and joy that resulted from the giving of unselfish donations of canned fruit, money, and time. Goals were consistently exceeded and though each team competed against one another, we declared everyone a winner."
Thank you UNUM for donations and gifts. You have helped make Maine Kids the real winners through your generosity.
CMP Employees chip in to feed Maine's hungry
GSFB was better able to serve the needs of Maine's hungry this summer, thanks to many generous donations from CMP employees.
Recently, employees from Central Maine Power's - Service Centers, Substations, Transmission & Distribution Support, and the North Augusta Service Center collected 400 pounds of food and $525 in cash, enabling us to distribute an additional $6,500 worth of food to pantries and soup kitchens.
The drive started when Good Shepherd Food-Bank approached CMP seeking help in communicating the increased need for donations through the summer months..
Good Shepherd Food-Bank receives
over $13,000 from Hannaford Supermarkets
Auburn, ME - In its fourth year, the Hannaford Have a Heart for Hunger campaign raised $13,193.18 for Good Shepherd Food-Bank. On June
7th, a check was presented to Good Shepherd's Executive Director, Rick Small, by Lewiston and Auburn store managers Tim Bryant and Jeff Castonguay. The funds raised through the Hannaford program will provide more than 65,000 meals for Maine residents in need.
Under the terms of the program, which ran throughout the month of February, customers could make donations at the register by selecting a donation coupon in $2, $5, or any denominations. Hannaford customers and associates supported the effort to provide assistance to local hunger relief agencies.
National Hunger Awareness Day Means
'Sharing the Bread' for Maine Credit Unions
On Tuesday, June 5, the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger celebrated National Hunger Awareness Day by presenting $17,000, one of the largest, single-day contributions to multiple hunger organizations ever in Maine, to 33 hunger organizations throughout the state. The third annual 'Share the Bread' event was created by Maine's credit unions to recognize the efforts of food pantries across the State and to bring awareness to the issue of hunger in Maine.
In the morning, representatives from two food pantries in each of Maine's eight southern-most counties received a loaf of bread and a check for $500 (the other kind of bread) from the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger in a ceremony at the Maine CU League in Westbrook. The bread then traveled north, for an afternoon presentation at Good Shepherd Food Bank's Distribution Center in Brewer, where representatives from Maine's eight northern-most counties received bread and checks. The total amount highlighted the completion of the 17th year that Maine's credit unions have worked to end hunger in Maine.
The following agencies received checks (listed alphabetically by county):
- Androscoggin County: Buckfield Food Pantry, Buckfield, Community Free Baptist Food Pantry, Sabattus
- Aroostook County: First Baptist Food Pantry, New Sweden, M & M Ministries Food Pantry, Presque Isle
- Cumberland County: First Congregational- New Gloucester Food Pantry, New Gloucester, United Methodist Good Fellowship Food Pantry, Naples
- Franklin County: Tri-Town Food Cupboard, Livermore Falls, Phillips Shared Ministry Food Pantry, Phillips
- Hancock County: Island Food Pantry, Stonington, Bucksport Community Concerns, Bucksport
- Kennebec County: St. Andrew's-Mt. Vernon Food Pantry, Mt. Vernon, Vassalboro Food Station, Vassalboro
- Knox County: Come Spring Food Pantry, Union, Washington Food Bank, Washington
- Lincoln County: Jefferson Area Food Bank, Jefferson, Wiscasset Nazarene Outreach, Wiscasset
- Oxford County: Woodstock Food Pantry, Bryant Pond, GRAMPA Food Pantry, Mexico
- Penobscot County: Chester Baptist Food Pantry, Lincoln, Stetson Food Cupboard, Stetson
- Piscataquis County: Living Word Community Food Cupboard, Dover-Foxcroft
- Sagadahoc County: Shepherd of Faith Food Pantry, Richmond, Stauron Ministries Food Pantry, Topsham
- Somerset County: Starks Food Cupboard, Starks, Calvary Pentecostal Food Pantry, Madison
- Waldo County: Crossroad Food Pantry, Morrill, Searsport Cong./Methodist Food Pantry, Frankfort
- Washington County: Machias Food Pantry, Machias, Labor of Love Food Pantry, Eastport
- York County: Lyman-Dayton Community Food Pantry, Lyman, Acton-Milton Mills Food Pantry, Acton
Jon Paradise of the Maine Credit Union League, said that 'Share the Bread' illustrates Maine's credit unions' philosophy about 'people helping people.' "Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger has worked to raise money for, and increase awareness of hunger in Maine. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to help those organizations that do so much for people in Maine. Hunger is a reality for many in our state, in every county and every community. What better time than National Hunger Awareness Day to turn our attention to this very important issue," he said.
Speaker's Bureau Established
For the first time in 25 years, GSFB has established a formal Speaker's Bureau Program. We are looking for passionate and effective communicators who would like to be part of our newly developed GSFB Speaker's Bureau..
Maine's Credit Unions
honor hunger pioneer's memory
On March 19, in a ceremony called "Renewing a Partnership; Remembering a Partner," Maine's credit unions honored the memory of JoAnn Pike, the founder of the Good Shepherd Food Bank, by making a donation of $10,500 to the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Pike began the Good Shepherd nearly 28 years ago and served as its executive director until February of 2004 when she resigned. Three years ago this month, she passed away of cancer.
GSFB and The Pampered Chef
Partner for Hunger Relief
More than 25 million Americans rely on charitable food assistance to make ends meet, according to America's Second Harvest - the Nation's Food Bank Network. Currently, Good Shepherd Food-Bank (GSFB) and The Pampered Chef are working together to fight hunger in Maine. Becky Davis, a local, independent Pampered Chef Consultant, recently presented a check for $7,311 to GSFB.
Emerson Toyota Donates Van to GSFB
January 24, 2007
Emerson Toyota of Auburn recently became a generous transportation partner of Good Shepherd Food-Bank (GSFB) by donating a 2000 Toyota Sienna XLE.
Given the fact that Good Shepherd is a Statewide organization, this will help save significantly on travel budgets. The staff of GSFB will utilize this vehicle when traveling to monitor it's partner agencies throughout Maine, visit food and financial donors, attend speaking engagements, awareness building and educational events, as well as other work related meetings statewide..
