7928-R5_NewGloucester_2020-2021_AnnualReport_Web

In honor of the New Gloucester Food Pantry Located in a two-bay garage behind the First Congregational Church is the New Gloucester Food Pantry. This is New Gloucester’s sole food pantry serving the citizens of New Gloucester. The Select Board is proud to honor the New Gloucester Food Pantry and its volunteers in the 226 th annual report for their outstanding work and dedication to feeding those in need. The Food Pantry is open twice a month on the 2 nd and 4 th Saturdays and is also available to respond to food emergencies. In 2021, the pantry served an average of 67 people each time they opened. Those served are from infant (9% served were under 5) to the elderly (13% served were over 65) . The Pantry is run by volunteers with the help of Congregational Church staff. The First Congregational Church also provides the space, utilities and church staff as volunteers that make the Pantry possible. The Pantry receives the food it distributes from two primary sources, The Good Shepard Food Bank and Gray Hannaford. In 2021, between donations and Pantry purchases, the Good Shepard Food Bank provided 6,427 pounds of food. Gray Hannaford, the other main resource, provided well over three tons of surplus bread, pastries, meats and more in the same year being the main donor. Supplementing the large food providers are several locals that share their extra vegetables, fresh bread, eggs and goodies. Fresh fruit and vegetables are donated in season from the Somali Bantu Farms. The last several years the local 4-H Club has raised money to purchase lamb and swine at the Cumberland Fair. Once processed the meat is vacuum sealed and divided between Gray and New Gloucester pantries. Milk is ordered in conjunction with the Village Store to receive a savings. Pastor Linda Gard notes that the community members of New Gloucester are amazing in meeting the needs of the pantry, many locals often call before going grocery shopping to see what special needs the Pantry has at that time. The original Food Pantry was started in 1983, after a study on hunger by the church’s mission’s board. For the first several years the pantry was a closet at the town office. Later the town continued to run the food closet at the town office and the church expanded their pantry to a bedroom in the parsonage. In 1996, the church moved the pantry to the 2 bay garage located on the Lowe property next to the church. The town and church worked together providing food until 2001. At that point the town the stopped the service and the church fully took over as the sole food pantry.

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