Food Insecurity Continues To Rise In Maine
According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 195,000 Mainers- nearly 15 percent of households in the state- are battling food insecurity and have struggled to provide enough meals for their families at some point during the year. Maine is currently tied for ninth in the country for food insecurity rates and is second in the country for ‘very low’ food security.
Hunger rates in Maine first started to surge in 2008 at the start of the economic downturn and have continued to increase steadily as a result of people losing their jobs, homes and financial resources. While unemployment is the main cause of food insecurity, even those who are working and bringing in steady incomes are still feeling the burden.
Though the holidays provide some relief in the form of food drives and donation baskets, food banks throughout the state are working tirelessly to try and feed everyone in need.
Good Shepherd Food-Bank, the state’s largest distributor of emergency food, delivers food to 600 food banks and pantries statewide, and provided 12 million pounds of food during the 2009-10 year. In addition, the Salvation Army delivered 197 food baskets this past Thanksgiving, almost triple the amount of baskets that were handed out last year.
Other food agencies in Maine, such as the Augusta Food Bank and the Gardiner Food Bank, provide assistance to approximately 700 people per month and are seeing new families sometimes on a weekly basis.
If you are in need, please visit the Emergency Food Assistance website, part of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources site, for a listing of food assistance programs in the state by county.
At the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein, we recently conducted a food drive for the holiday season in support of Project Feed. We encourage all those who are in a position to give to help our fellow Mainers.
The Good Shepherd Food-Bank is currently holding The Good Shepherd’s Virtual Holiday Food Drive with a goal of raising $100,000 from now through December 31. Those interested in donating can do so directly on their website and Walmart has graciously offered to match every dollar.
No donation is too small and every dollar helps:
- $25 gift will feed a family of 3 for two weeks
- $50 gift will feed a child for 3 months and
- $100 gift provides 488 meals
The fight against food insecurity is a challenging one and every bit of help makes an lasting impact. Together, Mainers can donate, volunteer or organize food drives to work towards ending hunger in our state. No one should ever go hungry, and it’s never more apparent than during the holiday season.
For more information on how you can help please visit: http://gsfb.org/.
