Maine’s Credit Unions ‘Share the Bread’ with food pantries in Franklin County

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Pictured is Jon Paradise, Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Maine Credit Union League, with Kathy Helming, Vice President of Community Partnerships at Good Shepherd Food Bank, at the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger’s Share the Bread event. The event contributed more than $20,000 to food pantries statewide, including two in Franklin County. The Campaign worked with Good Shepherd to identify recipients.

PORTLAND — Recently, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, which has raised $7.2 million since 1990 including a record-setting $674,194 in 2016, distributed over $20,000 of those funds to 33 hunger organizations throughout the state including two in Piscataquis County.

This year marked the 13th Annual ‘Share the Bread’ event, one of the most-widespread, one-day contributions to ending hunger in Maine and just one part of the overall ending hunger effort. ‘Share the Bread’ brings awareness to the issue of hunger in Maine, and the acute need for food for Maine’s 85,000 children that depend on the school lunch program during the school year. The Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger started this initiative to recognize the efforts of food assistance organizations across the state and to provide significant financial assistance to food pantries in all 16 Maine counties.

In Franklin County, Clearwater Ministries Food Pantry in Industry, and Wilton Area Food Pantry – UMC in Wilton both received contributions.

According to Jon Paradise, Vice President of Governmental & Public Affairs for the Maine Credit Union League, this event comes at a time when supplies at many food pantries are at critical levels. “When people think of summer in Maine, they usually think about taking vacations and being outdoors; helping the local food pantry is often the furthest thing from their minds at this time of year. The reality is that hunger if felt all year round, especially in the summer, when it’s not getting the same attention as it does around the holidays. Sadly, it’s the state’s youngest residents that are most affected. With over a month of school break remaining, help is needed right now for Maine’s 85,000 children that rely on the school lunch program during the academic year, but may not have access to those meals during summer vacation. That’s why we are trying to help. Hopefully, others will be inspired to help, as well.”

Food pantry representatives were appreciative of the timing of the contribution. “This comes at a time when many of our shelves are bare but the need remains strong. Summer is a challenging time to keep up with the demands of the people we serve. We are fortunate that Maine’s credit unions recognizes that need through contributions such as this,” stated one attendee.

Representatives from two food pantries in each of Maine’s sixteen counties received two types of bread—the bread you spread butter on and, most importantly, the ‘bread’ that affords you the ability to buy groceries. Each food pantry received a $600 check from the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger. Good Shepherd Food-Bank also received a $1,000 donation for their efforts to end hunger across the state.

Founded in 1938, the Maine Credit Union League is the State Trade Association for Maine’s 57 credit unions with 689,000 members providing a variety of services and products to assist credit unions in meeting the needs of their membership. For more information, visit www.mainecul.org.

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