CARIBOU, Maine — Catholic Charities Maine’s Hunger and Relief Services program has received a $39,559 grant from Catholic Charities USA as part of the national organization’s efforts to fund activities that expand outreach to rural communities. The grant was made possible thanks to funding from the Walmart Foundation.
CCM plans to use the funds to purchase a truck that would be a multi-use vehicle in Aroostook County for its food distribution and expansion efforts that include food distribution to and from two CCM food banks, produce transportation to and from CCM’s Farm for ME program, and hauling of its “Glean Team” trailer that allows CCM to glean/harvest available produce from local farms who are donating their produce to people in need through its food banks.
“Being able to purchase this truck will really make a difference in our ability to keep up with our expansion efforts,” noted Dixie Shaw, Director of Hunger and Relief Services. “It will allow us to double our capacity of growing and distributing vegetables from 15,000 pounds of produce to 30,000 pounds on our Farm for ME acreage, and to also double our gleaning of produce from 2,000 pounds to 4,000 pounds … ultimately enabling us to provide even more nutritional vegetables to our neighbors in need.”
CCM’s Hunger and Relief Services Program provides food to 35 percent of Aroostook County’s population, which is more than 24,000 individuals yearly.
