Camden-Rockport food drive helps stock shelves of food pantry that serves eight communities
From left, Rockport Select Board members Tracy Murphy and Owen Casas (holding his son), help unload donated food with Camden Select Board member Don White.
Camden Select Board member Don White and Rockport Select Board member Tracy Murphy sort donated food at the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry with other volunteers.
Rockport Select Board Chairman Bill Chapman and board member Tracy Murphy sort food at the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry with other volunteers, including Jane Bennett, president of the food pantry.
Camden Select Board member Don White and Rockport Select Board Chairman Bill Chapman.
From left, Rockport Select Board members Tracy Murphy and Owen Casas (holding his son), help unload donated food with Camden Select Board member Don White.
Camden Select Board member Don White and Rockport Select Board member Tracy Murphy sort donated food at the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry with other volunteers.
Rockport Select Board Chairman Bill Chapman and board member Tracy Murphy sort food at the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry with other volunteers, including Jane Bennett, president of the food pantry.
Camden Select Board member Don White and Rockport Select Board Chairman Bill Chapman.
CAMDEN — In an effort to help fight the issue of food insecurity that so many local residents face, the Camden and Rockport select boards joined forces and launched “Neighbor Helping Neighbor,” a food drive that began March 28 and ran through April 9.
Members of the Camden Select Board and Rockport Select Board chose the fight against hunger to mark the occasion of Camden's 225th and Rockport's 125th anniversaries.
Donations went to the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry, serving the eight towns of Camden, Rockport, Lincolnville, Hope, Appleton, Union, Searsmont and Washington.
In a press release last month, Camden Community Development Director Karen Brace said the problem in the local area is severe, as indicated by the statistic that between 12 and 18 percent of people in Knox County live under the poverty level. For children, 15 percent live in poverty. With the last census showing Knox County's population at 39,736, this means that just under 6,000 children in the immediate area face food insecurity.
The two-town food drive by the select boards was termed by co-chairs Camden Select Board member Don White and Rockport Select Board member Tracy Murphy, “A great success, with area families getting the benefit of Neighbor Helping Neighbor. We plan to make it an annual event.”
On Saturday, April 9, the final day of the Neighbor Helping Neighbor project, Hannaford Supermarket at the Camden and Rockport town line on Route 1, set up bins near cash registers for contributions of food. Those wishing to make monetary donations could purchase Hannaford gift cards that day, which were given to the food pantry to purchase food items for those in need.
The two towns collected 10 large boxes of nonperishable foods that were delivered April 11 to the food pantry. Camden Area Christian Food Pantry President Jane Bennett said their organization services each week more than 1,000 people, or approximately 300 families, from around the area. The food pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, year-round.
Donations are always welcome, with a complete list of needs on their website at camdenareachristianfoodpantry.org.
For more information on upcoming food drives or other ways to help, contact your town office.
• Camden Town Office, 236-3353
• Rockport Town Office, 236-0806
• Lincolnville Town Office, 763-3555
• Hope Town Office, 763-4199
• Appleton Town Office, 785-4722
• Union Town Office, 785-3658
• Searsmont Town Office, 342-5411
• Washington Town Office, 845-2897
Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655
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128 Mt. Battie Street
Camden, ME 04843
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