A few weeks ago the Boothbay Region Food Pantry was in the financial doldrums because of the convergence of three unhappy trends:  the steady or increasing cost of food; a decline in donations; and continuing strong need for food assistance among residents of the region.

To make ends meet, the pantry had to cut in half the number of vouchers given monthly to clients to purchase dairy products and bread at our local Hannaford.

Today, the pantry’s directors are pleased to announce that we are able to resume immediately our practice of giving two vouchers to each client family every month, thanks to special, very generous financial donations from a few concerned community members.  

But there’s more good news. The Elmina B. Sewall Foundation has renewed support to our food pantry for the win-win program established last summer that allows food pantry clients to use a different set of vouchers to purchase food at the farmers market held weekly on the Boothbay Common or at Brown’s farm stand.

Thanks to the foundation’s grant, clients will continue to have increased access this summer to locally grown farm products, and at the same time, local farmers will continue to benefit from an increase in the number of people purchasing their products.

And, here is another piece of good news: Friends of the pantry have donated a used refrigerator/freezer that will be located at Our Lady Queen of Peace.

Storage space for meat, cheese, and other food items that require refrigeration is a longstanding problem for the food pantry, and this generous donation will go a long way toward addressing that need.

We are grateful also to the volunteers working this summer at the newly established community garden on the Rittall’s property in Boothbay, where half of the crop will be given to the food pantry.

We are indeed fortunate to live in a famously generous community, as the need continues to rise. In May 2012, 78 families, comprising 185 family members, were served at the Boothbay Region Food Pantry. Last month 106 families, totaling 259 family members, received food assistance at the pantry.

Here are some more ways you can help the pantry this summer: plant a row or two of vegetables in your gardens and deliver fresh produce to the pantry on Fridays at 11:30 a.m.; leave a supply of canned, boxed and bottled goods (coffee, breakfast cereal, soup, fruit juice, meat and fish products, etc.) at or inside the pantry door; or send a check to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry, which is fully tax-exempt under state and federal law, at P.O. Box 63, East Boothbay, ME 04544.

The food pantry directors and our neighbors in need of food assistance to feed their families appreciate your generosity and thank you very much.

The Boothbay Region Food Pantry is located in the lower level of the Congregational Church at One Eastern Avenue in Boothbay Harbor.  The pantry is open each Friday from noon to 2 p.m., and clients wishing only to pick up food from the tables supplied weekly by Hannaford and others may begin to do so at 1:30 p.m.

If you can’t make it to regular open hours or if you have a food emergency, call the church at 207-633-4757 during normal office hours or, at other times, call Fleet Davies at 207-350-4077 or Tom Wilson at 207-633-4952.

The pantry serves the towns of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport and Edgecomb. New clients must provide proof of residency, such as a recent utility bill, lease or rent receipt.