Local Scout Troop 144 and their leader Brittany Carter recently met with MaryAnn Look and Linda Blomquist of the Ecumenical Food Pantry of Newcastle to learn what the Food Pantry does in our community.

The Scouts discovered that the Food Pantry serves an average of 90 families each week, and that one in four children in our area do not have enough food. Look and Blomquist then had four Scouts join them in a quick game to drive home the information: three Scouts were given some food cards and could choose whatever they wanted to eat, while the fourth person didn't get anything. The quick-learning Scouts discussed how they could help the fourth person. They knew there is a resource in their own community that could provide food for the fourth person.

Next, the Scouts were given two bags filled with grocery items, one filled with an amount of food that they could buy for about $15 and another filled with what the food pantry can buy with that same $15.

The Food Pantry bag was much heavier because the Food Pantry can purchase 40 to 90 percent more by buying from Good Shepherd Food Bank. The Good Shepherd Food Bank, based in Auburn (www.gsfb.org), is the largest hunger relief organization in Maine, providing surplus and purchased food to more than 600 nonprofit organizations throughout the state. Area food suppliers also donate food to the program.

Seven churches in the towns of Damariscotta, Newcastle and Nobleboro, as well as many local businesses, schools, organizations and other churches support the Ecumenical Food Pantry on a regular basis.

For more information and to learn how you can help, visit its website at newcastlefoodpantry.org.