Pandemic taking toll on area households; Food and fuel needs increase

The pandemic has left a marked toll on many Washington County households and their ability to put food on the table and keep a warm roof over their heads. To help fill the gaps are organizations and community members that support fuel funds and food pantries for those in need. Over the years the use of both resources has been steadily climbing as the county's population has aged, many incomes have stagnated or declined and the housing stock continues to age, compounding financial stresses. The pandemic has only added to household duress.

Need for LIHEAP sees 11% increase
Giving an overall view of how households in need are doing is Energy Services Director Lee Hardison of Downeast Community Partners (DCP). She oversees the federal and state Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) and the donation based The Heating and Warmth Fund (THAW) to help people stay warm in Washington and Hancock counties. So far about 2,200 applications have been received for LIHEAP, with the average benefit of $700 for fuel purchases. "We're ahead of ourselves from last year," she says, at an increase of about 11%.
The THAW fund had fewer financial resources this year than last and has just about been tapped out serving 254 households so far and expending $60,000. Last year it had spent $70,000 by early January. "We're almost out, and when we get to a certain level in the kitty, we close it down so that only the elderly or those households with infants" are served, Hardison says. "They have to be in dire, dire need." She is hoping that some generous donors will step forward to help out the less fortunate. THAW provides a one time benefit of 100 gallons of heating fuel to qualifying applicants. "We need to make sure that clients will stay warm and not run out."
The ECIP program provides up to $400 for fuel purchase. Only four households have been served so far, but this is to be expected, Hardison says. ECIP is best tapped after all other benefits have been exhausted, including THAW. "We look at it as the program for after the fact, when benefits are all gone but fuel needs are still there," she explains.
Because of the pandemic, DCP is working with clients exclusively by phone. "This relieves our clients. They don't have to leave their home," Hardison says. She wants clients to understand the process. After they call DCP to start the application process, the application will be sent to them in the mail. They have 20 days to return it, so even if they don't have all the documents that are required, they should sign the application and return it. Once the DCP office receives it, the client will receive a call to figure out how to supply the required documentation, but at that point the client is allowed 30 days. If they miss the 20 day deadline because they're trying to find required documents, they've got to start again from scratch -- not something anyone wants to see happen to someone in need of heat, Hardison says.
For more information about the LIHEAP, ECIP and THAW programs, call Downeast Community Partners at 610-5914 or 664-2424. To donate to THAW, contact Sarah Nugent at DCP at 610-5944 or Megan Hayes at 610-5910.

Calais area resources seeing need increase
In Calais the Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry not only provides food for those in need but also runs a small heating assistance fund.
Fuel fund manager Sherry Sivret says that so far this winter season they've helped nine families with 50 gallons of fuel each. The fund is a one time only emergency resource. They have enough funds to help about 12 more. Sivret explains that because LIHEAP was rolled out more smoothly this year than the previous year, people are in much better shape with their heating situation. She's talked to at least three people on fixed incomes who have said they're doing OK right now. Last year's LIHEAP roll out was delayed, and many were not receiving federal fuel assistance until late February or March, which meant that emergency funds like hers were tapped and depleted just as winter began.
The mild winter this year has helped keep the need down, but she does expect that in mid February and into March, especially if a cold snap settles in, that people will start reaching out for help. She knows there are some out there who feel that people take advantage of programs like this, but she finds that not to be the case. "It always touches my heart." She'll hear of people moving into just their kitchen or living in two rooms of their house during the winter season. "It's never easy for people to ask," she adds. The donors who support the fund fill her with gratitude.
The food pantry has also been busy. Pantry Manager David Sivret reports that 6,648 individuals were served in 2020, up from the previous year's 6,100 helped. He says, "Because of COVID 19 we have had to go to a paging system so people can stay warm in their cars. We only allow one client in at a time. We are following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines. We are using a limited number of volunteers who are in our bubble to support the program. These volunteers have been on the front lines ever since the pandemic started. I am very thankful for their dedication."
The pantry offered a special curbside service six times in Calais and four times in Alexander. Along with the prepacked boxes, it gave out meat, milk, eggs, produce and bakery items. Sivret explains, "This was for anyone who needed food, not just pantry clients. This continues to be our mission at this point." A total of 350,125 pounds of food was distributed in 2020.
Because of COVID 19, he says, "We have had a number of seniors not come to get food. If a family member was willing to pick up, that would be very helpful." He adds, "The City of Calais has been accommodating, delivering food to those in Calais who can not come in." Some volunteers go the extra mile by delivering outside of Calais. "It is our goal to make sure no one goes without food."
For more information about the food pantry, call 454 8238, and for the fuel fund call the church at 454 8016. Sivret says, "We can always use donations for both the food pantry and fuel fund."

Eastport area pantry receives 5,105 household visits
Over in Eastport, the Greater Eastport Ecumenical Churches Association (GEECA) oversees the Community Emergency Fuel Fund and the Labor of Love Nutrition Center and Garrapy Food Pantry. The areas served by the pantry include Eastport, Pembroke, Perry, Charlotte, Dennysville, Edmunds, Robbinston and Pleasant Point.
GEECA President Lynn Rutledge says that 416 discrete households, representing 923 individuals, were served during 2020. She explains, "Because people can come weekly to the pantry, there were 5,105 household visits, representing 10,476 individuals." As is being seen in other area pantries, the numbers are up from 2019, when 4,600 household visits occurred, or an increase of 433 household visits, representing 1,068 individuals. The pantry received more than 144,000 pounds of food in 2020, up from about 107,000 in 2019, and distributed from 11,000 to 12,000 pounds of food each month.
Rutledge hears from many clients and relays some of their comments. One mother who feeds three teenagers says, "You can't imagine what a difference this food makes to our family." Another says, "I've worked hard all my life, and it's a shame that since I've retired I have to come to the food pantry. But I'm glad you are here." The pantry also makes informal referrals when people are looking for other kinds of help.
In 2020 the Community Emergency Fuel Fund served 33 households with emergency fuel assistance, representing 2,800 gallons of fuel oil and five cords of firewood that were cut, split and delivered. Donations to the fund come from community members far and near, and Rutledge relays some stories of how those donations have helped others. She says, "A veteran living on an isolated side road learned from the postmistress that our fund will help with firewood, so he called us." Then there was the family with children that was making regular trips into the woods, scavenging for blowdowns and whatever tree limbs they could find, bringing whatever sticks they could carry home in the trunk of their car. "When the car broke down, they turned to us for help."
Looking to the future, Rutledge says, for the food pantry, "We have been fortunate to receive some grant funds as well as generous contributions during this time of COVID 19 from people who care about their neighbors. Our emergency fuel fund operates entirely on donations, and we give out whatever we receive."
For more information about the food pantry and the fuel fund, including donation information, visit eastportlaboroflove.org..

Lubec offers pantry and fuel fund
The Lubec Community Outreach Center Food Pantry's director, Eleody Libby, has also been seeing an increase in clients. In 2020 the pantry served 1,268 households, or 2,476 individuals, as compared to 2019 when it served 1,082 households, or 2,201 individuals. Client in person visits to the pantry have dropped because of the pandemic or because of lack of transportation, so deliveries have increased, with volunteers delivering to 718 households, serving 1,536 individuals in 2020. "I really like the model," Libby says. As long as her volunteers don't burn out she's going to try to keep it going.
While she doesn't have total 2020 tonnage numbers, she explains that individual households would receive approximately 35?40 pounds of canned/dry goods, 5-7 pounds of frozen meat, five pounds of fresh produce and often two pounds of dairy and loaf bread. A family household would receive approximately 55?60 pounds of canned/dry goods, 7-10 pounds of frozen meat, 8-10 pounds of fresh produce and often three pounds of dairy and two loaves bread. Libby says that the food pantry and the organization are "OK financially, but the typical funds we would get to keep the organization alive are less, and that's a worry." While the start of the winter was mild, she's worried about what happens when the cold weather sets in and client needs rise. For more information about the pantry, call 733 5262.
The Town of Lubec administers the Senior Fuel Fund, which is to support seniors over 60 who don't qualify for general assistance and have exhausted all assistance from other sources such as LIHEAP. Town Treasurer Suzette Francis says that they have helped two people so far this winter. In addition, the new COVID Fund has helped 26 residents. The fund was set up by several people interested in helping those who had lost jobs or had their incomes reduced by the pandemic. The fund provides vouchers of $50 for an individual or $100 for a family for the use of fuel or food and can be applied for two times. For more information, call the town office at 733 2341.

Machias sees 55% increase
In Machias the Centre Street Congregational Church hosts the Machias Food Pantry, with pantry Director Ken Warner reporting that starting in March with the pandemic the increase in need was like seeing a faucet open. In 2019 the pantry served 3,865 individuals. In 2020 that number increased by 55%, he says, to 5,991. The number of applications the pantry collected was up by 36%, and that increase started rapidly in March. Looking at the annualized numbers reinforces the gravity of the situation, he says.
The pantry works with the Maine based food pantry supplier Good Shepherd Food Bank, the Machias Hannaford and others for its food resources. From Hannaford alone the pantry received about 15 tons, or 30,000 pounds, of food. Good Shepherd supplied 27 tons or 54,000 pounds of food to the pantry in 2020, and Warner notes that additional supplies come in as donations to the pantry, including a single donation of food that came in at four tons. The pantry director says that he is grateful and inspired by the community of people who care and help however they can, whether a $5 donation or a corporate gift. Someone will tell him about how the pantry helped their family when they were a young child or a young adult starting out and how they want to give back and help others as they were helped. The volunteers "are awesome," he adds.
The Centre Street Congregational Church has a discretionary fund administered by the Rev. Susan Maxwell that can be used for heating fuel assistance. While it is not a part of the food pantry operation, information about both, including services and donations, can be found by calling 255-6665.