June 6, 2007  Rick Small, Executive Director of Good Shepherd, and Jon Paradise display the total amount presented. On Tuesday, June 5, the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger celebrated National Hunger Awareness Day by presenting $17,000, one of the largest, single-day contributions to multiple hunger organizations ever in Maine, to 33 hunger organizations throughout the state. The third annual 'Share the Bread' event was created by Maine's credit unions to recognize the efforts of food pantries across the State and to bring awareness to the issue of hunger in Maine.
In the morning, representatives from two food pantries in each of Maine's eight southern-most counties received a loaf of bread and a check for $500 (the other kind of bread) from the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger in a ceremony at the Maine CU League in Westbrook. The bread then traveled north, for an afternoon presentation at Good Shepherd Food Bank's Distribution Center in Brewer, where representatives from Maine's eight northern-most counties received bread and checks. The total amount highlighted the completion of the 17th year that Maine's credit unions have worked to end hunger in Maine.
The food banks that received checks are the following (listed alphabetically by county):
Androscoggin County: Buckfield Food Pantry, Buckfield, Community Free Baptist Food Pantry, Sabattus;
Aroostook County: First Baptist Food Pantry, New Sweden, M & M Ministries Food Pantry, Presque Isle;
Cumberland County: First Congregational- New Gloucester Food Pantry, New Gloucester, United Methodist Good Fellowship Food Pantry, Naples;
Franklin County: Tri-Town Food Cupboard, Livermore Falls, Phillips Shared Ministry Food Pantry, Phillips;
Hancock County: Island Food Pantry, Stonington, Bucksport Community Concerns, Bucksport;
Kennebec County: St. Andrew's-Mt. Vernon Food Pantry, Mt. Vernon, Vassalboro Food Station, Vassalboro;
Knox County: Come Spring Food Pantry, Union, Washington Food Bank, Washington;
Lincoln County: Jefferson Area Food Bank, Jefferson, Wiscasset Nazarene Outreach, Wiscasset;
Oxford County: Woodstock Food Pantry, Bryant Pond, GRAMPA Food Pantry, Mexico;
Penobscot County: Chester Baptist Food Pantry, Lincoln, Stetson Food Cupboard, Stetson;
Piscataquis County: Living Word Community Food Cupboard, Dover-Foxcroft;
Sagadahoc County: Shepherd of Faith Food Pantry, Richmond, Stauron Ministries Food Pantry, Topsham;
Somerset County: Starks Food Cupboard, Starks, Calvary Pentecostal Food Pantry, Madison;
Waldo County: Crossroad Food Pantry, Morrill, Searsport Cong./Methodist Food Pantry, Frankfort;
Washington County: Machias Food Pantry, Machias, Labor of Love Food Pantry, Eastport; and
York County: Lyman-Dayton Community Food Pantry, Lyman, Acton-Milton Mills Food Pantry, Acton
Jon Paradise of the Maine Credit Union League, said that 'Share the Bread' illustrates Maine's credit unions' philosophy about 'people helping people.' "Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions' Campaign for Ending Hunger has worked to raise money for, and increase awareness of hunger in Maine. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to help those organizations that do so much for people in Maine. Hunger is a reality for many in our state, in every county and every community. What better time than National Hunger Awareness Day to turn our attention to this very important issue," he said.
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