Boothbay Region Food Pantry, like many of us, is suffering from inflation and uncertainty about government policies. Food costs more at the grocery store, as do diapers, toilet paper, paper towels and other such essentials. Our food pantry has always been blessed with donations from generous neighbors. Now, however, as SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) is threatened with cuts that will have a dire effect on those needing assistance, we find that we are receiving less both in the food and in the monetary donations we depend on. Our organization shares leftover perishable foods after Friday pantry visits with the Community Resource Council. We have also provided them with financial support to stock the Community Fridge, which is intended to cover emergency situations. Boothbay’s food pantry is, however, the primary nutritional source for the peninsula. 

BRFP is stocked by our purchases from Good Shepherd Food Bank and Hannaford along with donations of date-limited foods from Hannaford and food drives by local groups. We also utilize a federal program through the USDA (also threatened) as a source of high quality, nutritious food. Our clients, residents of the Boothbay peninsula, can visit once a month to receive the shelf-stable food items they need as well as the vouchers they can use at Hannaford for perishable foods such as milk and eggs. They are very appreciative of the work our all-volunteer team provides and when we have conducted surveys to find out what we can do better, they give us good reviews: “I appreciate what you do for people—it really helps!” “Great services—would starve without you!” “Just a huge hug and a thank you to all involved!” 

In the summer local farms donate fresh produce to help provide a healthy diet for these families. For the remaining nine months of the year, with all costs of living on the rise and seeing a need for a winter supply of fruits and vegetables we began to offer our clients vouchers to buy fresh and frozen produce, and then, during Covid, another voucher for meat, fish or other protein. Unfortunately, despite the real possibility that SNAP funds will be drastically cut to pre-inflation levels, making it very difficult to meet a low-income family’s nutritional needs even with two working parents, we now must consider cutting back on these offerings in order not to find ourselves unable to stock our shelves with bare necessities and fund the original voucher for perishable staples. 

The good news is that we have some great new volunteers! Now all we need is some great new money…Please help us to feed our neighbors so we can all work together in solving some of our community’s problems.