Name: Food pantry in small Maine town feeding 500 families a week
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Food pantry in small Maine town feeding 500 families a week

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AdvertisementFood pantry in small Maine town feeding 500 families a weekHide TranscriptShow TranscriptENOUGH FOOD TO FEED 500 FAMILIES A WEEK. THE PARKING LOT AT THE OLD V-F-W IN HARRISON IS ALREADY PACKED...SOME PEOPLE WAITING IN THEIR CARS TWO HOURS BEFORE THE FOOD IS HANDED OUT.  VOLUNTEERS RUNNING AROUND... PREPARING BOXES...A CONVEYER BELT UNLOADING MILK...ALL THIS FOOD COMING FROM GOOD SHEPARD FOOD BANK, WAYSIDE, HANNAFORD, SHAWS AND WALMART...40- THOUSAND POUNDS OF FOOD DONATED EACH WEEK.  "NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DID I EVER THINK THAT I'D BE IN THIS POSITION." ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE IN LINE - TINA POLLOCK - SHE'S RETIRED.  "THESE PEOPLE ARE AMAZING. THEY ARE WONDERFUL AND THIS HAS BEEN A LIFESAVER IT REALLY HAS." TWENTY VOLUNTEERS - HAULING AND PACKING FOOD EVERY TUESDAY- ALL UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ENERGIZER-BUNNY SANDY SWETT.  "WE STARTED OFF WITH SIXTEEN FAMILIES. IT WENT TO THREE-HUNDRED FAMILIES AND THEN WITH THE PANDEMIC IT WENT RIGHT UP TO FIVE- HUNDRED."  "AND THIS TELLS THE STORY - A LONG LINE OF CARS YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WAY DOWN THE ROAD SOME WAITING FOR TWO HOURS AND SOME WILL WAIT UNTIL 6 O'CLOCK TONIGHT."  "WE DO NOT DENY ANYBODY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY. CHILDREN ARE HUNGRY. ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN IN THE STATE OF MAINE ARE HUNGRY. IT'S MIND- BOGGLING." GLENN HINCKLEY IS WAITING PATIENTLY FOR HIS DONATION - ENOUGH FOOD FOR A WEEK.  "IT MAKES A LOT OF DIFFERENCE. I'M EATING FOOD I NEVER WOULD HAVE EATEN. JIM: LIKE WHAT? BRUSSEL SPROUTS? A: I THOUGHT I DETESTED THEM. BUT THEY'RE NOT BAD." WHAT THEY NEED NOW? MORE VOLUNTEERS TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE A BREAK. A TEMPORARY STORAGE UNIT TO HELP PROVIDE SHELTER FROM MAINE'S HARSH WINTER.  "WE ARE TOTALLY FUNDED ON OUR OWN. WE ARE CONSTANTAdvertisementFood pantry in small Maine town feeding 500 families a weekA food pantry in the small town of Harrison is shining a spotlight on food security in Maine due to the pandemic.The Harrison Food Bank is now serving enough food to feed 500 families a week.On Tuesday, people arrived at the VFW in Harrison two hours early to receive food.The food pantry receives 40,000 pounds of food a week from the Good Shepherd Food Bank and area supermarkets."Never in a million years did I ever think that I'd be in this position,” Harrison resident Tina Pollock said.Pollock, who is retired, was one of the first people in line to receive food."These people are amazing. They are wonderful, and this has been a lifesaver, it really has,” Pollock said.Twenty volunteers distribute the food under the leadership of food bank founder Sandy Swett."We started off with 16 families. It went to 300 families and then with the pandemic it went right up to 500,” Swett said."We do not deny anybody because people are hungry. Children are hungry. One in five children in the state of Maine are hungry. It's mind-boggling,” volunteer coordinator Jane Riseman said.The food bank is in need of more volunteers to help keep up with the need, as well as a temporary storage unit to help provide shelter during the winter."We are totally funded on our own. We are constantly looking for help from the community,” Swett said.A food pantry in the small town of Harrison is shining a spotlight on food security in Maine due to the pandemic.The Harrison Food Bank is now serving enough food to feed 500 families a week.AdvertisementOn Tuesday, people arrived at the VFW in Harrison two hours early to receive food.The food pantry receives 40,000 pounds of food a week from the Good Shepherd Food Bank and area supermarkets."Never in a million years did I ever think that I'd be in this position,” Harrison resident Tina Pollock said.Pollock, who is retired, was one of the first people in line to receive food."These people are amazing. They are wonderful, and this has been a lifesaver, it really has,” Pollock said.Twenty volunteers distribute the food under the leadership of food bank founder Sandy Swett."We started off with 16 families. It went to 300 families and then with the pandemic it went right up to 500,” Swett said."We do not deny anybody because people are hungry. Children are hungry. One in five children in the state of Maine are hungry. It's mind-boggling,” volunteer coordinator Jane Riseman said.The food bank is in need of more volunteers to help keep up with the need, as well as a temporary storage unit to help provide shelter during the winter."We are totally funded on our own. We are constantly looking for help from the community,” Swett said.Loading more articles...

AdvertisementFood pantry in small Maine town feeding 500 families a weekHide TranscriptShow TranscriptENOUGH FOOD TO FEED 500 FAMILIES A WEEK. THE PARKING LOT AT THE OLD V-F-W IN HARRISON IS ALREADY PACKED...SOME PEOPLE WAITING IN THEIR CARS TWO HOURS BEFORE THE FOOD IS HANDED OUT.  VOLUNTEERS RUNNING AROUND... PREPARING BOXES...A CONVEYER BELT UNLOADING MILK...ALL THIS FOOD COMING FROM GOOD SHEPARD FOOD BANK, WAYSIDE, HANNAFORD, SHAWS AND WALMART...40- THOUSAND POUNDS OF FOOD DONATED EACH WEEK.  "NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DID I EVER THINK THAT I'D BE IN THIS POSITION." ONE OF THE FIRST...

Food pantry in small Maine town feeding 500 families a week

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