When I go to the supermarket these days (and that’s most days), I often find myself thinking, "How in the world can young families afford to put food on the table?" It seems to me that a typical trip to the market used to cost me $20 to $30. Now I’m spending about $50 a … Read more
It’s a double-whammy for Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services. The department overpaid food stamp benefits to about 58,000 households for four months last year. The department also incorrectly calculated Medicaid claims, according to the federal government, and both of those mistakes add up to a tab of mroe than $13 million owed to … Read more
FALMOUTH, Maine — It’s summertime, but the living sure isn’t easy for many people in Falmouth and nearby communities. More than 260 area families — about 800 individuals — currently rely on donated food and household supplies available for free from the Falmouth Food Pantry. But summer means fewer donations as donors go on vacation … Read more
PORTLAND – More than 400 people on average sought overnight shelter in the city last month – the highest number since the city began keeping records in 1987. Last year, the city started using the Preble Street Resource Center as an emergency overflow location for an additional 75 people. But now the numbers are overwhelming … Read more
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced this week that soup kitchens and food pantries in southern Maine will be getting some lost federal funding restored. Pingree said federal officials have agreed to dip into some unspent funds to help organizations in Cumberland County meet a growing demand for their services. Last summer, the Federal Emergency Management Agency … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced Monday that $93,000 in federal grant money will be used to pay for 46,500 meals at soup kitchens and food pantries in Cumberland County. The news comes three days before a community forum held by Portland’s task force on homelessness, a group created by city officials to … Read more
Last week, I read a story in the Portland Press Herald that was perfect for this Philanthropy Friday series. The story, written by Avery Yale Kamila, was about how businesses in Maine were using employee-managed gardens to help stock local food pantries. Not only are companies like Harvard Pilgrim and Idexx Laboratories donating fresh produce … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine – The president of Hannaford Bros. Co. was scheduled Wednesday to receive the 2012 Hon. Edmund S. Muskie Access to Justice Award. Beth Newlands Campbell has supported many initiatives that promote equality and well-being, according to a press release issued Wednesday by Pine Tree Legal Assistance. The award is presented annually to recognize … Read more
For the second year, Patty Cook is gardening on company time. A manager at Idexx Laboratories, Cook is one of hundreds of employees cultivating crops for local food pantries behind the global veterinary testing company’s sprawling corporate headquarters in Westbrook. "We delivered to the Sagamore (Village) Food Pantry last year," Cook said. "It was amazing … Read more
The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein is proud to support ‘Preble Street and ‘The Power of Sharing.’ For one week, Portland’s Time & Temperature Building will display the message ‘END HNGR’ to bring attention to Maine’s food insecurity crisis and honor Preble Street’s efforts to help this statewide problem. Food insecurity in Maine, which started to surge in … Read more