President’s Report
As the days get longer and the weather warms up, thoughts naturally turn to the upcoming break. Vacations, pool days, picnics, and freedom from the school bell are just ahead!
That freedom from the routine of school is great, unless you have children who rely on accessing free meal programs at school. Many families are figuring out how to provide enough food for three meals a day — and snacks! — during the months those breakfasts and lunches are no longer available. And the recent changes to programs like SNAP and Medicaid have left more families feeling unsure of how they’ll afford what they need. Especially during months when parents may need to work less to be home with their kids or pay for child care.
This issue of Helping Hands features children and families, and the people who are working to help make summer a little easier. However, it isn’t only children who face hunger during the summer months. For many individuals and older Mainers, food insecurity is a year-round issue.
Thanks to your generosity, Good Shepherd Food Bank is here for Mainers, ready to provide access to healthy meals for children, families, and older neighbors.
As the need for food assistance continues to rise, I’m so grateful for your support. If you’d like to give again, every $1 can help provide two meals. Thank you for your compassion.
With deepest gratitude,
Heather Paquette
President
Your generosity helps families like Hayley’s
access nutritious foods this summer and all year long.
Summer Looks Bright, Thanks to Your Support!
Hayley and her daughter, Maizey, love to visit the Youth Full Maine free market. They live nearby, so they just walk right over, and Maizey enjoys seeing the flowers that are growing in the gardens.
“I love strawberries,” the excited 5-year-old tells us.
Hayley loves that she can pick out those fresh strawberries her daughter loves, in addition to lots of other healthy produce. “I like to do a lot of salads, roasted veggies, stuff we can make ahead of time just to have in the fridge,” Hayley says.
Access to nutritious food is critical for children like Maizey, and her older brother too. It keeps them fueled to grow, play, and thrive all year round. But during summer break, access to free school meals disappears, and families are left to fill the gap. Plus, recent changes to federal programs have made it even harder for many Mainers to buy the nourishing foods we all need.
Youth Full Maine, a partner of Good Shepherd Food Bank, is there to provide Mainers with nutritious food and support, thanks in part to gifts from people like you.
“It’s taken a lot of stress off, just with the inflation, of how expensive the grocery store is, and being a single mom of two kids,” Hayley says. “It’s really helpful.”
Hayley is grateful for the food her family receives and for the donors who support the pantry. She also appreciates the kind volunteers who help make it possible right in her neighborhood.
“I think they’re awesome,” she says. “They’re very resourceful, very nice to talk to.”
With your support, we’re making summer brighter for Mainers like Hayley! Thank you for caring.
Your continued support means Good Shepherd Food Bank
can help provide food to Mainers this summer!
When School Lets Out, We Step In
For Mainers who face food insecurity, any season can pose challenges to accessing nutritious food — but summertime is particularly hard for families. Summer means the end of free school breakfasts and lunches.
And if child care is needed during those months, that’s another big expense.
With recent changes to programs like SNAP and Medicaid, many families already have fewer dollars to spend on food. Instead of planning vacations or signing their children up for summer sports and camps, parents are saving every penny. Often, it’s still not enough.
Thanks to your generous support, Good Shepherd Food Bank can help provide access to nourishing food and fresh produce during the summer through Maine’s charitable food network. Food distributions through community partners like the Auburn PAL and Youth Full Maine provide food and support to make the summer months easier. And school programs like The Locker Project in South Portland Middle School shift gears during the summer to offer food, health clinics, and seasonal programming to the community. Together, we are able to help bridge the meal gap when school is out.
Your continued support helps keep families and children nourished this summer and all year long. We couldn’t be more grateful!
Katie, Youth Full Maine executive director,
prepares produce for distribution at a local school.
Youth Full Maine Pivots
During Summer Months
Children need lots of healthy food to keep them growing, playing, and learning … and that need doesn’t take a break for the summer. Thanks to Maine’s network of hunger-relief organizations, the end of the school year doesn’t mean the end of nutritious meals.
With your support, organizations like Youth Full Maine, a partner of Good Shepherd Food Bank, help fuel children and families all summer long.
During the school year, the group partners with schools in York County to create and maintain school pantries, currently supplying food to 30 schools. But during the summer months, their focus pivots.
Powered by four part-time staff, one full-time staff member, and about 50 volunteers, Youth Full Maine visits neighborhoods, summer school sites, and recreation areas to provide fresh produce and pantry items all summer long.
“The majority of the food that we distribute is the produce that we get from Good Shepherd [Food Bank],” says Katie Brown, Youth Full Maine executive director. “But it’s not just the food that we get from them. We get a lot of guidance and a lot of interconnectedness to other programs. … It’s like having a big sister, big brother out there looking out for us.”
Thanks in part to gifts from people like you, Youth Full Maine offers a safety net of support for families year-round. Children have the fuel they need to stay active during the summer months and stay sharp when they’re in school.
Thank you for helping to build a stronger, healthier future for children and Mainers of all ages. Your gifts make a difference!
Joan helps stock the shelves at Machias Food Pantry.
A Decade of Service
As a retired nurse, Joan knows the power of helping others and the difference one person can make for another. She believes it’s important to help people who need it, and she stands ready to lend a hand whenever she can.
Lucky for us, she puts her belief into action by volunteering at Machias Food Pantry, a partner of Good Shepherd Food Bank. In fact, she’s been helping since she first heard about it in 2015.
Joan says her favorite part of volunteering is watching the children’s faces when they see the food. “They are so excited and so vocal about being thankful!” she says.
She tells us that “with food prices so astronomical,” she’s glad to see how much food they’ve been able to distribute. The pantry serves Mainers in Bucks Harbor, Cutler, East Machias, Jonesboro, Machias, Machiasport, Marshfield, Northfield, Roque Bluffs, Wesley, and Whitneyville, and neighbors are able to visit once a week.
“You know how much they need and appreciate the help,” Joan says. “I know people are having to make tough choices between things like food and medicine. It’s good that we are visible in the community and helping the entire community.”
Joan loves the time she spends volunteering so much, she encourages everyone to give it a try. She says whether you can do a little or do a lot, just come help out. The help is needed and appreciated!
Volunteers like Joan — and generous friends like you — help Mainers thrive. Thank you!