Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz “helped” homeschooler Melissa McKenney pick broccoli recently for the Good Shepherd Food-Bank.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
MELISSA McKENNEY, 15, of Fort Fairfield, was one of 27 volunteers that recently helped glean broccoli from a Smith’s Farm field in Westfield that has since been donated to the Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn. McKenney was listening to one of her favorite artists through her headphones as she picked the broccoli noting that listening to music “helps me kind of focus, and makes the time go faster.” About 15,000 pounds of broccoli was gleaned Sept. 16. This was the second consecutive year that the Maine Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) organized the effort.
“Listening to music helps me kind of focus, and makes the time go faster,” said McKenney, 15, of Fort Fairfield. McKenney, who was listening to Mraz through her headphones, was one of 27 volunteers that helped glean broccoli for the largest hunger relief organization in Maine.
For the second consecutive year, Smith’s Farm in Presque Isle has allowed the Maine Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) to glean broccoli from one of their fields. Volunteers met Sept. 16 in Westfield to pick the broccoli that has since been delivered to the Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn.
Good Shepherd Food-Bank provides for those at risk of hunger by soliciting and distributing surplus food to more than 600 partner agencies. Since 1981, Good Shepherd has partnered with individuals, businesses and farmers to alleviate hunger and build community relationships. During fiscal year 2007-08, the Food-Bank distributed 10 million pounds of food to families and individuals throughout Maine.
“It’s good to help people out especially when it’s harder to buy food now and it can be a struggle,” said McKenney, who was joined by her brother and mother. “We’re so blessed to have food; it’s nice to give back to others. Picking broccoli is a small way to give back.
“I like knowing that I helped with something that will give people food around the state of Maine,” she said. “I found out about the broccoli gleaning from a friend who is in Boy Scouts. I thought it would be something fun to do.”
During her first hour in the field, McKenney picked seven boxes of broccoli.
“You just pop off the broccoli heads and put them in a box,” she said. “It’s pretty fun. Plus my back doesn’t hurt at all.”
Brent Trueworthy, co-chair of the Maine VOAD’s northern region, said Smith’s Farm and the Maine VOAD have built a solid relationship in a relatively short period of time.
“We asked them if it was possible for us to come back because of the growing need for food in the southern and central parts of the state,” he said.
“Last year we had 15 volunteers help glean broccoli,” said Trueworthy. “This year we have 27 people, which is great. We have people from Catholic Charities, Save Virtues Food Cupboard in Dover-Foxcroft, some from the food pantry in Guilford and others from Newburgh. We’ve got homeschoolers here, people from Unity College, as well as the Loring Job Corps … people of all ages and all walks of life. It’s been a true team effort.”
Assisting in that effort was Smith’s Farm, which not only donated the broccoli, but also provided the cartons and icing.
Trueworthy sees the need for such quality donations firsthand as he pastors at the Newburgh Full Gospel Church, which also operates a food pantry.
“To be able to glean the broccoli, which would otherwise go to waste,” he said, “is a blessing. It really is. We serve – on an average week – about 50 families. Those families will appreciate the broccoli.”
Trueworthy’s southern region counterpart, Robert Van Deventer, was unable to attend this year’s gleaning, but was impressed by what he heard.
“They gleaned about 15,000 pounds of broccoli,” he said. “We’re very grateful to Smith’s Farm for the participation, and we hope that other farmers and companies that would have the ability to let us glean fields will give us a call because it benefits the whole of Maine.
“Food pantries fill a gap in many, many areas where something has gone wrong with a person’s job or maybe they’re just not making it because the prices have gone up on different things,” said Van Deventer. “This is one event we’ve been able to do for two years now, and we hope other farms would consider letting us do this.”
While there have been no disasters in the state as of late, Van Deventer said crews were more recently in Aroostook County last year during the flooding in Fort Kent.
“When there’s not a disaster,” he said, “we try to keep the volunteers active doing other things … one of which is helping out food pantries.”
Jeremy Hammond, agency relations program coordinator for the Good Shepherd Food-Bank, was on hand to help in the collection effort.
“We have a strong partnership with Maine VOAD and we’re here to support them … this is a project they spearheaded,” he said, “plus we’re one of the recipients of the food, so we wanted to contribute to the work.
“We have over 600 agencies – not just food pantries – across the state and they’ll all be eligible for this food. That includes soup kitchens, homeless shelters and some group homes. About one-third of our agencies are food pantries, so a lot of people are going to benefit from this donation.”
Hammond said it was nice getting out of the office and working in the field for a day.
“As program coordinator, I get to do a lot of random things … including gleaning, so that’s nice to have some variety,” he said. “It’s a welcomed change. It’s nice every now and then to go out and do something physical instead of just working the mind. Here, you get to zone out a little … it’s almost therapeutic. Plus, the drive up was beautiful.
“We’re very appreciative of all the volunteers that came out today and Smith’s Farm, in particular, for donating the delicious broccoli,” said Hammond. “Many agencies will really benefit from getting fresh broccoli. Every time we get fresh vegetables in the warehouse, they go immediately. People love it.”
Trueworthy said the non-Aroostook County volunteers met at Dysart’s Truck Stop in Bangor at 6 a.m. and drove straight to the Smith’s Farm field office.
If the invitation is made again next year by Smith’s Farm, Trueworthy said the Maine VOAD would love to come back and glean broccoli for a third year.
“We’d love to return,” he said. “It’s grown every year, so we hope that partnership will continue.”
For more on the Maine VOAD, log onto www.mainevoad.org.
