TAMC food drive exceeds goal
PRESQUE ISLE — When a large team comes together to work toward a common goal, much can be accomplished. The power of collaboration was on display during National Hospital Week, when employees of The Aroostook Medical Center and members of the community came together to make the inaugural TAMC Food Drive a huge success.
TAMC EMPLOYEES and members of the community recently came together to hold a successful food drive. 
In the end, 1,392 cans of soup and vegetables, boxes of cereal, and other food was collected. The donations will benefit those served by Homeless Services of Aroostook, Martha & Mary’s Ministries and Catholic Charities. Pictured with some of the food collected are, from left: Susan Forbes, Martha & Mary’s Ministries; Lisa Neal Shaw, Homeless Services of Aroostook; Amy Carlisle, food drive co-coordinator; Fred Shieber, Catholic Charities; and Laura Turner, food drive co-coordinator.
“When we came up with the idea of holding a food drive, we expected to collect 100 or so non-perishable food items,” said Laura Turner, TAMC Food Drive committee chair. “We soon realized that we could achieve something greater, and we set an ambitious goal of collecting 1,025 items: one for every TAMC employee. Thanks to the generosity of our employees and the community, we ended up collecting 1,392 cans of soup and vegetables, boxes of cereal, and other food.”
Food collected during the drive will benefit those served by Homeless Services of Aroostook, Martha & Mary’s Ministries and Catholic Charities. In a time of economic uncertainty, the need to support local organizations that provide relief to some of our community’s most vulnerable residents is greater than ever.
“This is a hard time for us to get enough food and money to meet the needs of the 25 pantries that we support, so every can and every box is appreciated,” said Dixie Shaw, Catholic Charities program director. “Just this morning I received a call from one of our pantries in Houlton asking if I could please find them some canned fruit. We appreciate people in the community coming together to support our organization, and ultimately, local people.”
Food was collected at A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital, County Dialysis Center, North Street Healthcare, Aroostook Health Center, and TAMC’s health centers in Ashland, Fort Fairfield, Mars Hill and Caribou.
