Maine credit unions help food pantries

by Staff Pioneer Times
8 years ago
PT BUFOODPANTRIES 31 16 18179821Contributed photo
Jon Paradise, right, vice president of governmental and public affairs for the Maine Credit Union League, which coordinates the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, presents a check to Sandy Carson and Diana Pelletier of the Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry. The pantry was one of two food pantries in Aroostook County and one of 33 statewide that received contributions through the Campaign’s “Share the Bread” event, held in Hampden at Good Shepherd Food Bank’s Northeast Distribution Center.  
 

HAMPDEN — Recognizing the issue of summertime hunger and the lack of focus it receives, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger developed an event to highlight this issue and make a significant contribution to combat summertime hunger.

Last week, the annual “Share the Bread” event was held and the Campaign distributed more than $20,000 to 33 food pantries in each Maine county, including two in Aroostook County: the Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry and the Wytopitlock Food Pantry.

Food pantries in every Maine county received a contribution, along with Good Shepherd Food Bank, which serves more than 90 percent of the hunger organizations in the state. The funds are part of the record-setting $623,000 the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger raised in 2015.

“People are not as focused on hunger and the struggles that food pantries go through in the summer as they are at, say, the holidays, said Jon Paradise, vice president of governmental and public affairs for the Maine Credit Union League.

“In addition to providing support to food pantries during an especially difficult time, raising awareness that hunger exists throughout the year is also part of our objective,” Paradise said.

For their part, food pantries that received a contribution were extremely appreciative of the timing and the amount. “Summer is one of our most difficult times because, frankly, people are thinking about the need for hunger, so we receive fewer contributions,” said an official at one pantry. “Unfortunately, the need doesn’t diminish in the summer, so this contribution is so welcome.”

The presentations were held in Westbrook for Maine’s eight southernmost counties and in Hampden at the Good Shepherd Food Bank’s Northeast Distribution Center for the eight northernmost counties. Maine CU League officials presented loaves of bread and checks to food pantry representatives at each site.

Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised $6.5 million to help end hunger in Maine, including a record-setting $623,000 in 2015. One hundred percent of all funds raised go directly to the cause, and stay in Maine.

For more information, visit www.mainecul.org.