AARP Maine debuts film to spotlight Friends of Aroostook

HOULTON, Maine — AARP Maine announced Friday the statewide release of “With Friends Like These,” a new short film spotlighting the extraordinary story of a community program in Aroostook County dedicated to feeding the hungry in Maine by donating their own locally grown and harvested produce.
Friends of Aroostook (FOA), now in its sixth year, is the brainchild of retired Houlton businessman, Dale Flewelling, who recognized the need to help seniors in his own community and throughout Aroostook, many of whom are finding it hard to make ends meet.
“We know there is a real need for people in our area as well as across the state,” said Flewelling. “There are many people among us who don’t have enough food to feed themselves or their families. By working together with community partners, volunteers and local businesses, we can tackle this problem and make a big difference.”
One in five Mainers do not have enough food to eat each day. Many are seniors who, through no fault of their own, are struggling to put food on the table. Often they must make impossible choices between eating, taking their daily medications, paying rent or heating their homes. FOA’s efforts help thousands of needy residents every year by donating 120,000 pounds of food and fresh produce to the region’s poorest communities with a focus on senior hunger.
Steve Farnham, director of Aroostook Agency on Aging, explains how some of the food is distributed. “One way we see the benefit of FOA’s work is through our Meals on Wheels program,” he says. “Most of our clients are homebound seniors, yet they can get this gorgeous produce delivered right to their door straight from the garden. Fresh, nutritious produce, some of which is organic, would normally be all but impossible for our clients to obtain.”
One of the most remarkable aspects of FOA is its ability to adapt and grow, all the while creating new ways for community partners and businesses to join in the effort.  For example, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, a local produce, farming equipment and supply company, matches FOA’s purchases dollar for dollar.
Another new initiative is the partnership with the local sheriff’s office and the Maine Department of Corrections. A few carefully screened, minimum security inmates are now members of Flewelling’s team who come out each day to harvest the crops. This has already proven to be a wonderful way to engage these young men in meaningful work while teaching them new farming skills and connecting them to the project and their community.
During the winter months, Flewelling and his team give back in another way. He runs “Operation Wood Heat” and delivers cords of wood to families in Aroostook who have no source of heat other than their fireplace or wood stove.
AARP Maine State Director, Lori Parham, commissioned the short film to showcase Flewelling’s and FOA’s achievements which have a real impact year after year. The film, directed by award-winning AARP filmmaker John Martin, was shot this past July in Houlton.
“We hope that our short film will serve as an incentive for other communities and partners to get involved in projects like these,” Parham said. “FOA started because one person decided to make a difference and now thousands of people benefit.”
Flewelling hopes that FOA will serve as a model for similar programs. “This works well as an agricultural model,” he says. “Where you have farms, you have possibilities to address hunger.”
“We hope everyone will watch this film and share it with their friends and family,” says Parham. “This is an unforgettable story that everyone should see.”
For more information about FOA, visit www.friendsof
aroostook.com.