Maines Credit Unions Donate $15,000 to Good Shepherd Food Banks Emergency Response Program

Maine – Good Shepherd Food Bank’s Emergency Response Program is getting a boost from Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger. The donation was announced earlier this week to coincide with activities commemorating International Credit Union Day.

“Our credit union network is proud to support Good Shepherd’s Emergency Response Program as part of our Campaign for Ending Hunger,” said Todd Mason, President/CEO of the Maine Credit Union League. “We also are pleased to be raising awareness about this critical program, which allows Good Shepherd to swiftly and adequately respond to a food crisis wherever and whenever there is a need. We hope our engagement will encourage others to contribute as well.”

Good Shepherd Food Bank identified two immediate needs for the Maine Credit Unions’ donation. First, a portion of the funds will go to a Food Mobile in the Jackman area, where there is a significant and immediate need for healthy food. Second, the Maine Credit Unions’ donation will provide food credit and a new refrigerator for an Oxford area pantry. The refrigerator will increase cold storage capacity for the pantry and, as a result, the amount of healthy, fresh produce they’re able to accept for distribution to their clients.

“Our Emergency Response program benefits our network of partner agencies in many ways during times of increased demand or when extra capacity is needed,” said Kristen Miale, President of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “This includes supplementing pantry food orders, deploying the Food Mobile to a specific geographic region, or providing funds for new equipment or infrastructure where there’s a need.”

Good Shepherd Food Bank’s Emergency Response Capacity Program is designed to be strategic and flexible in deploying resources in order to respond to an emergency need or community crisis in the most efficient and effective manner possible. No one in Maine should go hungry. For more information on how to help, please visit www.feedingmaine.org.

Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, a 501(c)(3), serves as the signature social responsibility campaign for Maine’s credit union network. It is the largest, non- hunger organization-based philanthropic fundraising effort to end hunger in our state. Since its inception in 1990, the Campaign has raised over $8.5 million, with 100% of all funds raised staying in Maine. In 2018 alone, Maine’s credit unions raised $792,901.

As the largest hunger-relief organization in Maine, Good Shepherd Food Bank distributes nutritious food to more than 400 partner agencies across Maine, including food pantries, meal sites, schools, and senior programs. Together with its network, the Food Bank leads a statewide effort to combat the root causes of hunger by engaging in advocacy, nutrition education, and strategic partnerships. In 2018, the Food Bank distributed more than 25 million meals to families, children, and seniors in need throughout Maine.