Nature’s Bounty Food Pantry’s struggle continue

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    OAKFIELD — It has been a trying couple of months for Debbie Gray, co-founder of Nature’s Bounty Food Pantry.
    First the group had to deal with persistent rumors that it had closed its doors. Now the group is dealing with donations from the public not making it to them. Raising money for the Christmas holiday was challenging in the current economic times, but now, Gray has discovered that some individuals who sent monetary donations to the group had their checks returned. Problems in getting mail delivered began around Christmas when Houlton Farms Dairy mailed a check to Gray to be used for gifts for children. That check never made it to Nature’s Bounty Food Pantry.
    Some of the checks have been re-sent to Gray and Campbell directly, but Gray wonders how many others were returned to donors who thought the rumors of Nature’s Bounty closing were true. One of the checks that was returned was for $500, Gray said.
    “We got a call around the first of the year saying the check got returned to them,” Gray said. “Then more recently, I received a phone call from a woman in Houlton who told me her check was returned. I think the problem has been corrected.”
    Nature’s Bounty Food Pantry opened in 2004 when Gray joined forces with Campbell to help fill a void in the Oakfield area. Late last year, the pantry relocated from the basement of the Oakfield Unitarian-Universalist Church to the basement of Campbell’s home.
    Mail for the food pantry has been received at Candy Campbell’s home on the Thompson Settlement Road, in the past, so when checks started getting returned, Gray was at a loss to explain it.
    “We’ve had mail addressed to Nature’s Bounty Food Pantry go through before,” Gray said. “I’ve even had mail with my name on it go through to Candy’s house.”
    The non-profit group is a member of the Good Shepherd Food Bank, but with money trickling in, there is not enough cash flow on hand for the group to purchase bulk food items to restock its cupboards. The pantry is still waiting to receive an insurance settlement for a November 2009 accident that destroyed the group’s vehicle.
    “It’s been hard even getting supplies,” Gray said. “We have to rely on friends to use their personal vehicles to go buy items.”
    For more information on donating to Nature’s Bounty Food Pantry call 521-4239 or 757-7128. Monetary donations may be sent to Nature’s Bounty Food Pantry, care of Candy Campbell, 299 Thompson Settlement Road, Oakfield, ME 04763.