Pantry Project About the project The United Way of Eastern Maine has joined with Good Shepherd Food Bank for The Pantry Project, a program aimed at feeding hungry people through April. Specially branded shelving units were provided at discount by Home Depot and made possible by the project sponsor, Sam's Club. These shelves will be delivered to companies around Eastern Maine. Employees and customers will fill the shelves and box the food, then deliver it to Good Shepherd for distribution. Each company will keep the shelving for one month and pass it on to the next month's company. Five or six units will be used at any given time. One box of food holds about 27 meals.  The latest Maine statistic shows that more than 20% of households suffer from food insecurity, which means families do not have reliable and consistent access to food.  Although the holiday season brings many donations of food, by spring, many pantries experience a food shortage. United Way and Good Shepherd are inviting businesses and partners to join in making sure that no one goes hungry. Can we participate? Yes! If you're a business, give us a call! Feel free to call Karen at 941-2800 or send an email for more information! If you're an individual, check out the list of businesses participating and bring your non-perishables in when they're hosting the shelves or drop food off to United Way of Eastern Maine as we'll have shelving units up January through April of the Pantry Project! Participating businesses for 2012: Hollywood Slots Camden National Bank (2 locations) Central Middle School (Corinth) Marden's Sam's Club United Way of Eastern Maine Bangor Hydro Electric Co. Bank of America Eastern Area Agency on Aging Oxford Networks Affiliated Healthcare Systems People's United Bank Key Bank General Electric Energy CES, Inc. Maine Discovery Museum Eaton Peabody U.S. Cellular Bonney Staffing Center Goodwill of Northern New England Thank you!  A big Thank You to the 2011 Pantry Project participants! January Central Middle School, 719 pounds Camden National Bank, 69 pounds Hollywood Slots, 2,555 pounds Marden's, 82 pounds Sam's Club, 105 pounds February  Black Bear Inn, 46 pounds Bangor Y, 224 pounds Eastern Maine Medical Center Grant 6, 37 pounds General Electric, 353 pounds People's United Bank, 324 pounds Oxford Networks, 305 pounds March  Affiliated Healthcare, 954 pounds Eastern Area Agency on Aging, 171 pounds Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, 410 pounds Bank of America, 1,133 pounds Rudman & Winchell, 395 pounds April  Eaton Peabody, 159 pounds Maine Discovery Museum, 23 pounds University of Maine System, 50 pounds Bonney Staffing, 78 pounds U.S. Cellular, 111 pounds CES, Inc., 50 pounds The 2011 Pantry Project was possible with a grant from Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.

Did you know?

United Way partners with the Creating Assets, $avings and Hope (CA$H) coalition to provide free tax assistance and financial resources to individuals in Eastern Maine. More than 2,800 low and moderate income individuals have received free tax preparation and financial resource support. The work of the coalition has brought more than $2 million in refund monies to Eastern Maine. Read more.