County’s Credit Unions fight hunger
On Nov. 8, 9 and 10, the 9th annual Maine Credit Unions’ Ending Hunger Walking Tour traveled throughout Aroostook County, making stops in eight communities and contributing nearly $1,000 to eight food pantries in Aroostook County. The tour features Brenda Davis, one of Maine’s leading ending hunger advocates, partnering with Maine’s credit unions to raise awareness for ending hunger during a month-long walk across Maine.
During the tour’s visit to Aroostook County, stops included Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Houlton, Madawaska, Presque Isle, St. Agatha and Van Buren. Food pantries receiving contributions were: the Bread of Life Soup Kitchen in Caribou; Friends Helping Friends, Fort Fairfield; Greater Fort Kent Ecumenical Food Pantry, Fort Kent; St. Mary’s Food Pantry, Houlton; St. Thomas Aquinas/St. David Food Pantry, Madawaska; St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, Sinclair; and St. Peter-Chanel Parish Food Pantry in Van Buren.
This year’s event will be visiting the most communities and covering the most miles in its history. The Walk is expected to encompass a record of more than 1,500 miles, with approximately 700 of that on foot, and visit a record-setting 72 communities from Kittery to Madawaska. The tour will visit every Maine county for the fifth consecutive year.
At each of the 79 credit union branches Davis visits, she will pick up a contribution from the Campaign as a way to support her cause. This year, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger will also make a $105 donation to a food pantry in each of the 72 communities that Davis will visit. The Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger will contribute nearly $30,000 to help end hunger through the tour, part of the larger initiative by credit unions to end hunger in Maine which has, to date, raised and distributed more than $3.5 million.
The Walk is an effort on the part of Maine’s credit unions and Davis to build awareness about the problem of hunger in Maine during the month of November, which has been designated as Ending Hunger Month. The Walk will conclude with a ceremony at Brewer FCU in Brewer on Thursday, Dec. 2.
Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised over $3.5 million to help end hunger in Maine. This is the 21st year of the campaign.
