Staff Writer
ASHLAND. Maine – Mill workers recently idled by the closure of two lumber operations got a little help filling their cupboards, thanks to the delivery of nearly 30,000 pounds of food courtesy of the Good Shepherd Food Bank. “Good Shepherd Food Bank was at the Ashland Odd Fellows to distribute a large truckload of free products to help support recently laid off workers from the Masardis, Ashland and Portage area,” said JoAn Chartier, public releations director for Good Shepherd.
Chartier said pantries in these areas are working in a collaborative effort to extend help to displaced workers.
“The Odd Fellows have offered their facility to provide more room and also to help remove any stigma that some of these hard-working people feel about going to a food pantry,” she said.
In addition to the food delivery, Chartier said a number of freezers were also delivered for distribution to Aroostook County agencies.
“We will be giving away freezers to a number of local agencies, including: Sister Mary O’Donnell Shelter, Aroostook Band of Mic Macs Food Pantry, and Mic Mac Boys & Girls Club, all of Presque Isle; Friends Helping Friends Food Pantry, Fort Fairfield; St. Louis Ecumenical Food Pantry, Limestone; St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, Hamlin; Christian Life Center, Frenchville; and Gateway Bible Community Kitchen and St. Peter’s Chanel Food Pantry, both of Van Buren,” said Chariter.
Chartier said the gifts were made possible thanks to a successful holiday fund-raising campaign.
“Each freezer has the capacity to hold 600 pounds of frozen meats, veggies and other great products we have available. Certainly, this will be a tremendous help to those served by our member agencies in Aroostook,” said Chartier.
Volunteers were busy in Ashland April 16 unloading box after box of donated food.
“Any time we can help anyone in the County, we’ll do it,” said Dixie Carter, director of Catholic Charities, based in Caribou.
Carter said she’s no stranger to unloading donated goods but this was a special situation.
“This is an exception to the needs we usually see, considering the recent closures. It’s an unusual situation to have two mills close at the same time. Hopefully it’s a temporary situation. This will help workers until they can get back to work,” said Carter.
Art Coffin, a longtime mill worker, and his wife, Rosemary Coffin, were on hand to help unload the truck on Wednesday.
“I worked at the mill for over 30 years. I never thought I’d see so many out of work,” said Art Coffin.
Coffin said one of the union officers, at the last union meeting, suggested appealing to other unions in the state.
“We’ve had good response to date,” said Coffin, as he pushed boxes along in conveyor-belt fashion to the next volunteer as, box after box, the truckload of food made its way slowly to the basement of the hall where it will be stored for distribution in coming weeks.
Jason Hall, Good Shepard’s agency relations manager, was on hand helping unload the truck.
“We tried to get items that would last – get folks through until they get back to work,” said Hall.
Items included a variety of cereals; canned fruits, vegetables and meats; sauces; dessert items; instant mashed potatoes; coffee; cocoa; soda; pickles; canned chowder; beef stew and more. Health and beauty products, first aid items and pet food were also included in the shipment.
“We even had stuff for folks with diabetes – sugar-free items. That’s good, because we have several who do have diabetes,” said Rosemary Coffin.
With about 11 volunteers working at a steady pace, it only took a few hours to unload and stack all the food. The first distribution day was Saturday, April 19.
For more information or to make a donation to the food pantry, contact the Coffins at 435-6955 or Wendell and Brenda Rafford at 435-6062.
