Maine CUs give the gift of food with contribution that will purchase 50,000 meals

On Monday, December, 18, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger in partnership with the Good Shepherd Food Bank celebrated the 12th anniversary of Maine’s first Food Mobile. To mark the occasion, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger made a contribution of $12,500, which is just a portion of the record-setting $675,000 raised in the 2016 Campaign.

The Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger’s contribution of $12,500 will provide over 50,000 holiday meals to Maine families in addition to supporting the Food Mobile to ensure Maine’s most in need and underserved families will have continued access to food.

“When the first Food Mobile was introduced in Maine back in 2005, Maine’s credit unions were one of the original major partners. As the program has grown, so has our commitment. Today, we celebrate that commitment by not only recognizing our long-term support of the Food Mobile program but by acknowledging more work needs to be done. Because the holidays are a time of giving and Maine’s credit unions’ philosophy of ‘people helping people’ remains a core value today, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger is pleased to present a check in the amount of $12,500 to Good Shepherd Food Bank to provide 50,000 meals to Mainers,” said Jon Paradise, Vice President of Public Affairs and Engagement for the Maine Credit Union League.

The Food Mobile is specifically designed to transport food across great distances at safe temperatures delivering a mix of frozen, refrigerated, and dry grocery goods. The mobile pantry visits communities whose demand for emergency and supplemental food has outgrown the capacity of local food pantries. In 2016, the Food Mobile hit the road nearly 134 times, delivered 600,000 pounds of food and covered every county in the state.

Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised over $7.2 million to help end hunger in Maine.