Maine was recently named the most peaceful state in the country. I suspect that, if we could measure the giving spirit across states, we would come out quite high in that regard as well. Unfortunately, we also have 1 in 4 kids who are undernourished because their families cannot provide enough food.
On Saturday we had the pleasure of meeting streams of Mainers who understand the importance of the work we do, and who turned out at Hannaford stores around the state to give food and hard earned money to help us feed the hungry. After such a huge outpouring of support, all we can say is “Thank you Maine!” We could not do our work without the generosity of Mainers. Individuals, businesses, foundations, and organizations – they are all contributing food, money, and volunteer time to help us achieve our mission.
Each year the staff looks forward to the Hannaford Feed ME event because we have the chance to meet our fellow Mainers in person and say thank you. I am often moved by the emotion of people as they give to us – whether it is the mother who delivers a cart load of groceries, recognizing how lucky she is to be able to provide for her children each day, or 4 year old child who feels good knowing he is helping a neighbor. This year, what really touched my heart was the elderly veteran who handed me a dollar and said, “I depend on my local food pantry to eat. This is all I can give, I wish it could be more”.
Thanks to the generosity of the people of Maine, this year’s Feed ME Food Drive raised 12,000 pounds of food and over $19,000 dollars for the Food Bank.
Thank you Maine!