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Good Shepherd Food Bank / Blog / Child Hunger / Good Shepherd Food Bank Partners With Bangor Area Agencies to Launch Summer Food Service Program

Good Shepherd Food Bank Partners With Bangor Area Agencies to Launch Summer Food Service Program

Good Shepherd Food Bank Partners With Bangor Area Agencies to Launch Summer Food Service Program

Food Bank to bring free meals to Bangor youth throughout summer

Bangor, ME – Good Shepherd Food Bank is launching three Summer Lunch sites where Bangor children can receive free nutritious meals this summer, when the school lunches they depend on through the school year are unavailable. Through partnerships with the Bangor Housing Authority and Bangor Parks and Recreation Department, the Food Bank will operate Summer Lunch sites at the Bangor Community Center in Capehart, at the Griffin Park playground, and at the Fairmount School.

Sites will begin operation on June 25 and will be open daily Monday through Friday. Their schedules throughout the summer are as follows:

  • Fairmount School, 58 13th Street Bangor – Lunch served M-F 11:30 am – 1:00 pm, June 25 – August 17
  • Capehart, 161 Davis Road Bangor – Lunch served M-F 11:15 am – 1:15 pm, June 25 – August 29
  • Griffin Park, 194 Griffin Road Bangor – Lunch served M-F 11:45 am – 12:45 pm, June 25 – August 29

“Good Shepherd Food Bank is excited to be the sponsor for the Summer Food Service Program in Bangor,” says Jim Dowe, Interim President and CEO of Good Shepherd Food Bank.  “Here in Maine, around 80,000 children depend upon the National School Lunch program for the nutrition they need to make it through the day. Despite the availability of funding and other resources from the USDA, only about 16 percent of those students receive meals during the long summer break due to a lack of accessible sites. We’re looking to change those statistics here in Bangor and beyond and this summer’s program is a big step in the right direction.”

The Food Bank estimates it will reach about 200 children daily with the Summer Lunch program.  The Food Bank will also be providing participating children with bags of nutritious foods on Friday to last through the weekends when the meal sites are not open. Funding for the weekend bags was generously provided by ConAgra Foundation’s Hunger Free Summer Initiative.

“Good Shepherd Food Bank’s sponsorship of this program was made possible because of the clear support that our community partners have brought to the table.  They have offered their resources very willingly because they see the need first-hand and know how much it rises over the summer.  There is no reason for a child to go hungry in Maine, but it can be overwhelming to find the right solution.  It is so rewarding to see these collaborations result in a tangible outcome for children in Bangor.  Good Shepherd is very proud to be a part of it,” says Melissa Huston, Bangor Development Associate for the Food Bank.

Organizations that have partnered with Good Shepherd Food Bank to bring the Summer Food Service Program to Bangor include Bangor Parks and Recreation, Bangor Housing Authority, Bangor School System, Bangor Y, Salvation Army, Department of Education, Healthy Maine Partnerships, and Maine Hunger Initiative.

Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

For more information about the Summer Food Service Program, please contact Shannon Coffin at (207) 782-3554 x 1163 or scoffin@gsfb.org. For statistics on poverty and hunger, photos, or interview requests, please contact Clara McConnell at (207) 761-0542 or cmcconnell@gsfb.org.

About Good Shepherd Food-Bank

The largest hunger relief organization in Maine, Good Shepherd Food-Bank provides for those at risk of hunger by acquiring surplus and purchased food and distributing that food to more than 600 partner agencies across Maine.  Since 1981, the Food-Bank has partnered with individuals, businesses, and farmers to alleviate hunger and build community relationships.  In 2011 the Food-Bank distributed 13 million pounds of food to families in need.  Phone:  (207) 782-3554; Website:  www.gsfb.org; Facebook: www.facebook.com/feedingmaine; Twitter: www.twitter.com/feedingmaine.

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