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September is Hunger Action Month!
Good Shepherd Food Bank is joining Feeding America, our partner hunger relief agencies, and our corporate sponsors to ask everyone to play a role in fighting hunger.
Hunger exists in every community in Maine - and it's up to very Mainer to help end hunger. The Food Bank has many things in the works for Hunger Action Month and we encourage you to join us!
Skip a Meal - Feed a Neighbor
Starting September 1, visit www.MaineHungerAction.org to pledge your support in the fight against hunger in Maine. Sign up to skip one meal on September 28, and tell all your friends and family to do the same. Then, donate what you would have spent on that meal to feed a Mainer struggling with hunger.
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BackPack Program Expands to Meet Need
Last year, our partners at the Junior League of Portland chose the Food Bank as their signature project and helped us pilot a BackPack Program. The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of children that show the warning signs of chronic hunger during times when school-provided meals are not available, such as weekends and vacations. The Food Bank provides healthy grocery items and the Junior League volunteers pack the items into nondescript bags. Support for the BackPack Program also comes from Unum and the Walmart Foundation.
This year, we are tripling the impact of the program, adding two additional schools in the Portland area. During the first semester of this school year we plan to reach 120 elementary children every week with nutritious snacks and meal items during this crucial time of physical and mental development.
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Summer Brings Local Produce to Mainers in Need
The summer of 2011 has not been the easiest growing season we've had in recent years, but Maine's farmers have still managed to produce a bounty of nutritious food for Mainers struggling with hunger.
Our Mainers Feeding Mainers program is in full swing, and our partner agencies across the state have received peas, beans, squash, peppers, and many other vegetables from 20 farms growing food specifically for the program.
This locally grown food is making it into the hands of people who need it in several ways - many farms are delivering directly to pantries or central drop sites throughout the state. In addition, fresh produce is coming into our three distribution centers in Auburn, Portland, and Brewer each week. Our partner agencies can take these products, free of charge, when they come to shop. Lastly, we are sending Veggie Mobile distributions throughout the state as produce becomes available from farmers.
 | | A volunteer helps set up for the recent Veggie Mobile distribution in Lincoln County on August 4. |
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Good Shepherd Hosts Conference of Food Banks From Across the East Coast
Good Shepherd Food Bank will host the annual Feeding America Eastern Regional Conference September 19 - 21. Food Bankers from across the East Coast will descend on Portland to spend three days discussing the latest advancements in the hunger relief field.
Highlights from the conference will include a keynote speech by Kevin Concannon, USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and breakout sessions addressing challenges and opportunities for the Feeding America network of food banks.
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Did you know?
Fifteen percent of Mainers, or nearly 200,000 people, are at risk of hunger. Make a donation today to help the Food Bank feed our neighbors in need.
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Coming Soon -
County Level Child Food Insecurity Data
Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief organization, recently released "Map the Meal Gap," a study providing the first detailed look at county level food insecurity numbers across the country.
At the end of the month, Feeding America will release child food insecurity data for each county. Once the study is released, you can visit www.feedingmaine.org for highlights from this important research.
To read the initial "Map the Meal Gap" report, click here.
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