Good Shepherd Food Bank Partners With Bangor & Brewer Nonprofits to Sponsor Six Summer Lunch Sites

Sites will offer free meals to Bangor/Brewer youth throughout summer

Bangor, ME – Good Shepherd Food Bank will be sponsoring six Summer Lunch sites where Bangor and Brewer 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, Bangor Public Library, Bangor School Department, and Brewer Housing Authority, meals will be offered at the Bangor Community Center in Capehart, Bangor Public Library, Fairmount School, The Rock Church Bangor, Second Street Park, and Rinfret Drive in Brewer. Site schedules throughout the summer are as follows:

Site Name	Site Address	Days Open	Service Hours	Dates of Operation
Capehart	161 Davis Road Bangor, ME	M – F	12pm – 1pm	June 14 – August 26
The Rock Church	1195 Ohio Street Bangor, ME	M – F	12pm – 1pm	June 20 – June 24
Bangor Public Library	145 Harlow Street Bangor, ME	M – F	12pm – 1pm	June 14 – August 26
Second Street Park	2nd Street Bangor, ME	M – TH	11am – 1pm	June 20- August 25
Fairmount School	58 13^th Street Bangor, ME	M – F	12pm – 12:30pm	July 5 – July 29
Brewer Housing Authority	Rinfret Drive Brewer, ME	M – F	12pm – 1pm	June 20- August 26

“We are excited to once again sponsor the Summer Food Service Program in Bangor and Brewer,” says Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “More than 85,000 Maine children depend on the National School Lunch program during the school year. Despite the availability of funding from the USDA, less than 25 percent of those students receive meals during the long summer break, due to a variety of obstacles such as lack of awareness and accessible sites. With our partners in the area, we’re working to make sure more kids in the Bangor region have nutritious meals this summer.”

The Food Bank estimates it will reach more than 150 children daily with the Summer Lunch program. Meals are provided to all children under age 18 without charge.

Good Shepherd Food Bank and Bangor Housing Authority will be hosting their annual kick-off event to raise awareness about the summer meals program at Capehart Community Center on Friday, June 24 at 11:30 AM.

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 Whitney at (207) 782-3554 x 1166 or cwhitney@gsfb.org.

Summer Food Service Program meals 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.

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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 more than 400 partner agencies across the state, including food pantries, meal sites, schools, and senior 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 2015, the Food Bank distributed more than 19 million meals 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.