Hannaford supermarkets has donated $25,000 to Good Shepherd Food Bank for the expansion of its Child Hunger Programs in Maine, including School Pantry and the BackPack Program.
Locally, the funds will help launch or expand food programs at Limestone Community School and in the community of Houlton. These programs will ensure vulnerable students and their families have a readily accessible source of healthy and nutritious food to prepare at home.
Hannaford Supermarkets is a longtime supporter of Good Shepherd Food Bank and its child-hunger initiatives. During the past two years, Hannaford has donated $70,000 to combat child hunger and supported BackPack and School Pantry program startups in Millinocket, Biddeford, Saco, Sanford, Windham, and Lubec. “We are so thankful for the support of Hannaford in helping Good Shepherd Food Bank expand our Child Hunger Programs into new communities,” said Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank. ”At a time when 1 in 4 Maine children are not able to access the nutritious food they need to thrive, programs like these are needed more than ever to close the meal gap when school is not in session. This gift will ensure that the students in these communities have access to the nutrition they need to succeed inside and outside of the classroom.”
“Hannaford is committed to fighting hunger in Maine, where too many of our neighbors are at risk of going without the nutritious food they need,” said Sherri Stevens, community relations manager for the Scarborough-based company. “Families with children are in particular need. No child should ever be distracted from their learning by concern about where their next meal is coming from.”
