Food pantry directors and volunteers will be on hand from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday morning, Dec. 22, to distribute approximately 125 Christmas feast boxes to families in the Boothbay region. Each box will contain carrots, peas, potatoes, squash, onions, a can of pineapple slices, a bag of rolls, and a dessert mix. In addition, each family will receive a voucher to be redeemed at Hannaford for a ham or chicken, according to their choice. The contents of each box will be tailored to the size of the family. The last day to sign up was Dec. 14, but the pantry will try to accommodate latecomers as quantities allow.

The pantry’s ability to provide Christmas boxes and equally overflowing Thanksgiving boxes, as well as to give regular monthly food allotments to its clients, is of course dependent on food and financial donations by many year-round and seasonal residents in the Boothbay peninsula. The pantry has two main priorities: to offer food that is nutritious and to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry.

It is no exaggeration to say that the pantry’s directors are frequently astonished and humbled because of the generosity shown by community members throughout the calendar year, especially during the holiday season. Once again, we hope that many will open their pocketbooks and their hearts as 2018 draws to a close. Financial gifts are particularly useful, as dollars can go a long way toward purchasing healthy food. Checks may be made out to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry and mailed to P.O. Box 63, East Boothbay, ME 04544. Canned and boxed food also is welcome and may be left in the new white receptacle near the food pantry door. Please be sure that food donations have not passed their sell-by dates, as the pantry cannot use them.

Now that our summer helpers have left the region, the pantry needs additional volunteers. Please telephone 633-4228 if you can help.

Our wish list contains only one other item: a low-mileage used panel truck! The vehicle would be used to transport large quantities of donated food that up to now overloads the personal cars of several pantry directors.

Information for clients

The Boothbay Region Food Pantry is located in the lower level of the Congregational Church at 125 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor. It serves residents in the towns of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport, and Edgecomb. It is open every Friday from noon to 2 p.m. and is accessible to people in wheelchairs. The food pantry is also open on the second Monday of each month from 5 to 6 p.m. If local schools are closed because of weather conditions, the pantry also is closed.