Letter From the Food Bank
Dear Friend,
Summer is just around the corner! Many of us — especially children — are starting to think about vacations, swimming, picnics, and all the fun that comes with summer break.
But for families whose children rely on free breakfasts and lunches during the school year, summer isn’t much of a break. When those free breakfasts and lunches are no longer available, it can be difficult for parents to provide the food their children need. Add the expense of summer child care, and families are left to make impossible choices. Especially this summer, with the increased cost of essentials and less support from federal programs.
This issue of Helping Hands features children and the people working to help make summer a little easier for families. You’ll also hear about how our partnership with local nonprofits helps bridge the meal gap during the summer months.
As you know, summer hunger affects more than just children. For many Mainers, food insecurity is a year-round issue. And right now, cuts to federal funding make it even more challenging to provide enough food for Maine families.
But thanks in part to your generosity, Good Shepherd Food Bank and the charitable food network are working hard to help Mainers access enough nutritious food as need continues to rise in the face of reduced federal funding. As we head into summer, I’m so grateful for your help.
Remember, every $1 you give can help provide food for two nourishing, culturally relevant meals for families and support for hunger-ending programs. Thank you for your compassion.
Deepest gratitude,
Heather Paquette
President
The food at St. Mary’s Food Pantry nourishes Kara and her children.
“It Makes Such a Huge Difference”
Kara uses only one word to describe her family’s summer plans: beaches!
She and her partner raise three kids together — ages 8, 10, and 17 — and they all love to soak in the summer sun. But each year, the summer months bring added pressure to their already tight budget. Especially since their family relies on a single income and her children no longer have access to school meals over the break.
“Our grocery bill is insane,” Kara says. “So, when you go to buy groceries, avoiding cheap stuff is hard. It’s really hard to stay on a good diet, eat decent food.”
What’s even more challenging for Kara to navigate is her children’s food preferences.
“Our biggest issue isn’t the amount they eat. It’s that, being neurodivergent, each child has certain things they can eat. One kid only wants to eat fruits and vegetables. One kid only wants to eat foods that have soft textures.”
That’s why St. Mary’s Food Pantry in Lewiston, a partner of Good Shepherd Food Bank, has become a lifeline for Kara and her family.
Unlike other pantries that offer prepacked boxes, St. Mary’s allows families to choose the foods that work for their specific dietary needs. For Kara’s family, this means being able to select fresh produce, stock up on pantry staples, and even discover new foods that excite her kids.
“I love that there are choices here,” Kara says. “When local produce starts coming in, we get so excited. We can actually bake now. It makes such a huge difference some days.”
Your support of Good Shepherd Food Bank can help families like Kara’s access the nourishing foods they need this summer — and all year long. Thank you!
Children in Maine are ready to take on all the fun that summer has to offer.
When School Lets Out, Children Need More Support
The summer months are difficult for all Mainers who are food insecure — but for hardworking families living paycheck to paycheck, summertime can hit particularly hard.
It’s often a time of stress for so many parents. Instead of planning vacations or signing their children up for summer sports, they’re busy planning how to stretch their already thin budgets. Summer break also means the end of free meals and the added expense of day care costs.
That’s why Good Shepherd Food Bank works with local nonprofits to help Maine youth and families access food in the challenging summer months.
A steady, daily source of vitamins and nutrients is critical to a child’s growth and well-being, ability to focus and learn, energy, and behavior. And being able to eat nutritious foods and fresh produce helps everyone in our communities live healthy lives.
Susan, a mom who appreciates being able to access food for her family, says, “Just having [this food] takes the pressure off my shoulders, even for just a minute. This helps in 800 different ways.”
Your ongoing support helps make summer brighter for Maine families. Thank you!
Like you, Richard understands the importance of helping Mainers experiencing hunger.
We All Need a Good Friend Like Richard
Richard was determined to make a difference. That’s why he and his sons first started volunteering at South Portland Food Cupboard, a partner of Good Shepherd Food Bank.
But what began as a low-stakes, feel-good commitment grew into a deeply meaningful mission for Richard. All it took was one transformative interaction to change his outlook and encourage him to get even more involved.
“I was exposed to Sybil — the woman who founded us — and I saw an exchange between Sybil and another volunteer,” he recalls. When the volunteer asked how they should help a family of seven who stopped in unexpectedly, Sybil’s response was simple: ‘Feed them.’
Now, serving as the Food Cupboard’s board president, Richard brings the same level of passion and tenacity he saw in Sybil — and continues to volunteer regularly.
“What we do here is vitally important because we help everybody,” he says. “From those on fixed incomes to single-income families to dual-income families trying to make ends meet. I deliberately put myself on the front line so I can see who the recipients are.”
Thanks in part to your support and dedicated friends like Richard, Mainers can access the nutritious, culturally relevant foods they need to thrive this summer. We’re so grateful!