The Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry has moved to a new location on Herschel Street. Since its inception in 1998, the pantry had outgrown its original location on Sweden Street behind the old Powers Movie Theater and as of last week is ready for business at the new site.
The Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry celebrated its new location on Herschel Street with a ribbon cutting ceremony last Tuesday. The food pantry, which originated in 1998, had outgrown it’s Sweden Street location and is now open for business in the Greenier building. Participating in the grand opening are, from left, Richard Matilla, member of the Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry board of directors; Sandra Carson, volunteer; Dixie Shaw, director of the Maine Catholic Charities Food Bank in Caribou; Gary Williams, board member and Jessica Feeley, coordinator of the pantry.
The food pantry is governed by a board of directors, each representing local churches including, the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Grey Memorial Methodist, St. Luke’s Episcopal, Faith Lutheran, Unitarian/Universalist and the Lidstone Memorial Methodist Church in Washburn. Members of these churches are often the volunteers who help operate the facility.
According to Jessica Feeley, coordinator of the pantry, the new location allows for smoother transactions regarding when individuals come to pick up their food items. “With this new location, people can come in one door of the pantry, pick up their food and continue out the other end of the room. It’s a lot less congested than where we were before and due to the increase in the assistance we provide, with more room and two doors it makes things flow much better.”
“Of course it would be nice if there was no such thing as hunger in Aroostook County, but we are all aware that isn’t the way things are,” stated Feeley.
Those in need of assistance are asked to call the pantry at 493-4860 on Tuesday or Thursdays between 10 and 11 a.m. Food orders are available for pick-up on the first Saturday of each month between 11-11:30 a.m.
Individuals who are in need of food assistance must be LIHEAP eligible and must be residents of Caribou, Connor, Perham, Wade, Washburn or Woodland.
Given today’s economic turmoil, the Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry accepts monetary donations as well as non-perishable food items to help keep the shelves stocked. Anyone wishing to send a monetary donation may do so by mailing to: PO Box 1315, Caribou, Maine 04736. Volunteers are also needed at the pantry.
The Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry is also currently offering a challenge to their member churches by participating in the Feinstein foundation’s 12th annual million dollar give-a-way to fight hunger. Any donations made to the pantry between March 1— April 30, will be matched by the Foundation. These donations, include cash, checks and food items (valued at $1 per item or pound) as long as they are obtained only from the use of this program.
The Ecumenical Pantry board is challenging their member churches to see which church is able to donate the most food items during this time, as these will hold the same value as cash. All items donated between now and April 30, will be considered for the Feinstein Foundation’s campaign.
