Tenth Annual Maine CUs’ Ending Hunger Walking Tour Starts Off With A ’Capitol’ Contribution

Friday, October 28, 2011

Representatives from Maine State CU present a check for $5,010 to Brenda Davis (2nd from left) as the 10th Annual Maine CUs' Ending Hunger Walking Tour begins in Augusta.

On Friday, October 28, at Maine State Credit Union in Augusta, representatives from Maine's credit unions joined Brenda Davis, Executive Director of Cross Roads Ministries, an Old Town-based hunger agency that serves thousands in Eastern Maine, to launch the Tenth Annual Maine Credit Unions' Ending Hunger Walking Tour.

Because Maine State CU was the top fundraising credit union for ending hunger in 2010 (raising in excess of $42,000), their main office is where Davis began her month-long journey. This is the fifth consecutive year Maine State CU has earned this honor through their fundraising efforts.     
At the ceremony, representatives from the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger sent Davis off on the Ending Hunger Walking Tour with its largest, single-day contribution in the history of the event by making a $5,010 presentation to Davis.  In addition, the Campaign made the first of 75 contributions to a food pantry as it contributed $110 to the Augusta Food Pantry, which will purchase close to $1,400 worth of food at the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

In presenting the check to Davis, Normand Dubreuil, CCUE, CCE, President/CEO of Maine State CU, said the Walking Tour represents "the continued commitment of Maine's credit unions to Davis' efforts to raise awareness about the issue of hunger in Maine."  As she began her journey by walking to the State House, Davis called Maine's credit unions "true partners and leaders in doing something about ending hunger in Maine.  Rather than seeing people struggle, Maine's credit unions are making a difference."

This year's Tour will be visiting the most communities, and covering the most miles in its history. The Walk is expected to encompass a record of more than 1,500 miles, with approximately 700 of that on foot, and visit a record-setting 75 communities from Kittery to Madawaska.  The Tour will visit every Maine county for the sixth consecutive year.  At each of the 84 credit union branches Davis visits, she will pick up a contribution from the Campaign as a way to support her cause. This year, the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger will also make a $110 donation to a food pantry in each of the 75 communities that Davis will visit.  The Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger will contribute nearly $30,000 to help end hunger through the Tour, part of the larger initiative by credit unions to end hunger in Maine which has, to date, raised and distributed more than $3.9 million.
 
The Walk is an effort on the part of Maine's credit unions and Davis to build awareness about the problem of hunger in Maine during the month of November, which has been designated as Ending Hunger month. The Walk will conclude with a ceremony at Maine Savings FCU in Hampden on Wednesday, November 30.
 
Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised over $3.9 million to help end hunger in Maine.