Communities pull together to help those in need with food, fuel

Food pantry and fuel assistance programs can be a vital relief option for community members facing financial pressure. Thankfully, volunteers and donors have stepped up to support their neighbors in need by assisting with these local programs.

Calais community reaches out
The Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry in Calais has recognized the additional need for heating assistance during the colder months by reserving a small fuel fund for residents who need it most. The seasonal fund is available from December until about March and provides 50 gallons of heating fuel per recipient.
The food pantry first started the initiative for a fuel fund in Calais several years ago and has since found continued support from the community. Many donations have come in from individuals, organizations and even other churches. "We give out what comes in," says fuel fund manager Sherry Sivret.
Funds are typically provided to individuals who call directly and apply, but sometimes it's a community effort. Sivret notes, "Different agencies will reach out, occasionally schools, even the fuel companies, to let me know who could use assistance."
The fund has assisted seven people since December and expects to service more before funds diminish. "Unfortunately, the cost of heating has gone up, and so the numbers of individuals getting assistance won't be quite the same this year," says Sivret. She points out that the cost of oil has gone up from about $110 for 50 gallons last year to $185 for 50 gallons today. Fortunately, she says there are other assistance programs available, such as the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), that can help offset fuel needs.
"It's really hard for some people. We have seniors who have moved into one room to keep warm and keep costs down," and "sometimes 50 gallons can give someone time to catch their breath," she says.
The food pantry itself is open three days a week -- Mondays from 3 to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon and Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m. They provide monthly staples as well as weekly items for clients to choose from. They're able to source food from "quite a few different donors who do so much to help out with feeding the community," she says.
Sivret expresses her gratitude to all the donors to both the fuel fund and food pantry in saying, "We're just so grateful for such a giving community who have gone above and beyond to support their neighbors. We just can't say thank you enough."
For more information about the food pantry or to donate, call 454 8238. For fuel fund information, call the church at 454 8016.

Lubec fuels support
The town administration of Lubec provides relief options to residents in need by offering two separate fuel assistance programs.
One is the Senior Fuel Fund, which is directed at residents who are 60 years or older and require heating assistance in their homes. The fund is available from September 1 to May 31 and covers a wide variety of fuel types including oil, kerosene, propane, pellets, electric heat and coal. Applicants must have previously sought relief assistance from other programs, such as HEAP, in order to qualify. "Once a senior qualifies for the fuel fund, we then call the fuel company directly and schedule a delivery," says Town Treasurer Suzette Francis. "We mostly follow the general assistance guidelines," and "we have maximum gallons in the fall, and then in the colder months we up the maximum," she says.
Since the fall, the program has assisted six people and three households, which is down from previous years. "The fund used to be really well known, but I think some people have forgotten," says Francis.
The Town of Lubec also offers The COVID Assistance Fund, which is reserved for people who have lost their income due to the pandemic. The fund provides recipients with 100 gallons of fuel and a $50 food voucher per individual or $100 per family. Originally, it was a one time disbursement, but now residents can utilize the fund a second time if needed. The fund was started when many people donated their stimulus checks to the town in order to better serve those in need.
When referring to the donors of either program, Francis says, "I would just like to say thanks to anybody and everybody who's made donations. We thank them very much because it's there for those who need it, when they need it."
For more information or to donate, call the town office at 733 2341.

Lubec offers choice
The Lubec Community Outreach Center oversees the Community Food Pantry, which services Lubec and surrounding towns. Food Pantry Director Eleody Libby explains, "We're a choice pantry so you can pick out what you need, whatever we happen to have that month - produce, dairy, dry goods, household items. Everything we have is a choice. We don't hand out items, with the exception of deliveries."
The pantry always expects a 15% to 20% increase in clients during the winter months, but Libby says, "The number of clients has gone down this year compared to last. They increased considerably when COVID started, but we're back down to an average of around 140 individuals and around 75 households a month," she says.
For volunteers, they have about 15 who are consistently active with the food pantry. "We have a core group, and they're just amazing. We would not be able to do any of what we do without the volunteers," says Libby.
The pantry is almost entirely donation based. "We do receive some small funding as a third-party request from the Town of Lubec, but the majority of our funds come as donations from people who choose to support the organization and the food pantry," and "we thank them very much," she says.
The pantry is open every third Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. and every third Saturday from 8:30 to 10 a.m. They will also distribute food upon emergency request. For more information or to donate, call 733 5262.

Generosity on Grand Manan
The Grand Manan Food Bank reopened the first Tuesday in January after a two-week Christmas break and has continued to provide food and assistance in all kinds of ways. "We try to help people with electric bills, fuel or to get wood. Sometimes an emergency comes up and we'll help with that," says Barbara Foster, who manages all the volunteers. "We all work together," she says.
The food bank is supported by local communities and beyond. "We get money from different grants, Action Ministries and Thrifty's, the second-hand store supports what we do, so they bring in quite a bit of money for us. Then we have donations. The people on Grand Manan are very generous," she says.
The Grand Manan Food Bank is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m. For more information or to donate, call 506 662 3585.

Dual assistance in Machias
The Machias Food Pantry, located at the Centre Street Congregational Church, not only provides food to area residents in need but also fuel assistance on an emergency basis. Food pantry Director Ken Warner says he anticipates more need as families are no longer receiving the child tax credit. "That money was going directly to people's pockets. Now that's gone, and fuel has gone up and everything else, I'm sure that folks are going to be short somewhere," he says. Although the pantry isn't an agency that can provide great amounts of fuel, they still issue what they can. "We'll do like $100 worth of propane, oil or kerosene one time for anyone that needs it, but we don't continue on with that, and we keep that within the realm of the pantry itself," says Warner.
For food, the pantry operates on a delivery based system due to COVID. "We hand deliver a grocery bag full of food to the clients at their car. Larger families receive two bags," he says. The pantry distributes food they receive from a multitude of donors including Hannaford, Healthy Acadia, Washington Academy, Tide Mill Organic Farm and others. Warner says the pantry is very fortunate with volunteers. "Good weather or bad weather, they're out there filling cars with food and talking to these folks the minute they drive in. You don't have to wait. You don't have to blow your horn. Nothing. We're there." He also expresses gratitude for the very generous community. "The public is very supportive of our food pantry. That's the good news. People are there for us all the time," he says, adding, "I would like to say a big thank you to our donors. We wouldn't be doing anything without them, and we're very grateful."
Machias Food Pantry is open Mondays from 1 to 6 p.m. For more information or to donate, call the church at 255 6665.

Community heating and food aid
The Greater Ecumenical Churches Association (GEECA) assists community members in Eastport and the immediate surrounding areas by offering the Community Emergency Fuel Fund and access to the food at the Labor of Love Food Pantry.
The goal of the Community Emergency Fuel Fund is to help individuals who are in urgent need of heating assistance. It's available as a one time use option and provides recipients with a voucher to redeem fuel from any supplier they choose. Anyone interested must first contact the state heating assistance program in order to qualify. "It's quite a bit more than our little fund can afford to give, so we ask about that first," says GEECA President Lynn Rutledge. Also, with the slow rollout of HEAP funds, which can take weeks, the Community Emergency Fuel Fund can help those waiting for that benefit to arrive. "Sometimes we are the stopgap for those people who are waiting," she says. So far, the fund has assisted 22 individuals this season, which is an increase from this time last year.
The fuel fund is entirely donation based, and fundraisers are coordinated specifically for this program during the year.
For food assistance, area residents can turn to the Eastport Labor of Love Food Pantry. The pantry is open every Friday from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. and often carries a selection of fruits, vegetables and meat options to choose from. Currently, it is strictly drive up due to COVID.
For more information about the food pantry, visit eastportlaboroflove.org.
Eastport residents seeking more information about the fuel fund can contact the city clerk's office at 853 2300. Non Eastport residents interested in the fuel fund can contact Rev. Colin Windhorst at 726 3905.

Deer Island safety net going well
“We're more than just a food bank -- we're a safety net," says Joyce Stuart, the secretary/treasurer of the Deer Island Safety Net Food Bank, whose involvement with the program goes back many years. "We help people to get services where they need it," she says, stating they sometimes cover things like medicine expenses and recovery.
The all volunteer run program mainly serves as a food bank. Stuart says, "It's going really well," and "this year has been better than last," she says, referring to the decreased number of average clients. "Right now the food bank services about 16 to 18 individuals a week including children," she says.
They are open every Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m. and typically provide "fruits, produce, meats, fish and everything else," says Stuart.