Good Shepherd Food Bank Receives $20,000 Contribution from CoBank
Grant will support the Food Bank’s rural hunger relief efforts
Auburn, April 21, 2014 – Good Shepherd Food Bank has received a $20,000 contribution from CoBank, a member of the Farm Credit System and one of the largest providers of credit to the U.S. rural economy. The funds will be used to support the food bank’s rural hunger relief efforts.
The contribution is part of a two-year, $1 million commitment CoBank made in 2012 to Feeding America members in 16 states around the country. Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger relief charity, with more than 200 member food banks serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The contribution was part of the bank’s overall response to the 2012 drought, and it was designed to help alleviate the impact that lower crop yields would have on food prices.
“Our goal was to reduce, in a small way, the level of food insecurity that remains an unfortunate fact of life for so many people around the country,” said Bob Engel, CoBank’s chief executive officer. “We’re pleased to be partnering with Good Shepherd Food Bank and supporting the vital good work they do in the community.”
Good Shepherd Food Bank is using these funds to support two partner agencies that serve as hubs in rural regions of the state. Catholic Charities works with Good Shepherd Food Bank to serve 25 food pantries in Aroostook County and Volunteer Regional Food Pantry assists other pantries in Waldo, Penobscot, Somerset, and Piscataquis Counties.
Catholic Charities will be using the award to help fund the purchase of a refrigerated truck, so it is better able to pick up and distribute food throughout Aroostook County. Volunteer Regional Food Pantry will be completing an expansion of its cold storage a light food processing equipment.
Funding from CoBank is also being used to distribute 60,000 pounds of food to Aroostook, Lincoln and Somerset counties through 9 Food Mobile deliveries. The Food Mobile is a mobile food pantry truck that provides additional food assistance to underserved communities throughout the state.
“We’re deeply grateful to CoBank for their support, which has made a meaningful difference to thousands of people in need in our state over the past two years,” said Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “Maine is a vast state, and the more resources we’re able to put toward our efforts to fight hunger in rural communities, the better off we will be.”
The recent CoBank contribution follows a donation of the same amount made last year, making the total award $40,000 over two years.
About Good Shepherd Food Bank
As the largest hunger relief organization in Maine, Good Shepherd Food Bank provides for Mainers facing hunger by distributing nutritious food to 600 partner agencies across the state, including food pantries, meal sites, and youth programs. Together with its network, the Food Bank leads a statewide effort to combat the root causes of hunger by engaging in advocacy, nutrition education, and strategic partnerships. In 2013, the Food Bank distributed more than 15 million pounds of food to families, children, and seniors in need throughout Maine. Website: www.feedingmaine.org; Phone: (207) 782-3554; Facebook: www.facebook.com/feedingmaine; Twitter: www.twitter.com/feedingmaine.
About CoBank
CoBank is a $94 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 70,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.
CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation’s rural economy. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.
For more information about CoBank, visit the bank’s web site at www.cobank.com.