Giving Voice: Choice and change

The year 2020 has given and taken many things, but perhaps, one of the most challenging losses we have faced as a community is the loss of choice. Social distancing, mask mandates, curfews, and a general want to keep the community safe has taken away many of our day-to-day choices. For Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program clients, a loss of choice has a large impact. Anyone that has been, or currently is, food-insecure knows that the choice of what one eats is a basic human right; one that many do not have.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program is committed to providing choice to clients wherever possible. Before the pandemic, the program’s food pantry was not only full of nutritious food but also extensive choices. Clients were able to shop the food pantry just as one would shop at a grocery store; able to choose their dairy, protein, grains, non-perishables, and more. To accomodate contact-free services, the food pantry was moved to a drive-thru service. Clients are now given a pre-selected assortment of fresh produce and non-perishables.

To alleviate some of the added barriers that contact-free services have created, the program has loosened many of the service eligibility requirements. The food pantry has temporarily lifted all income and residency requirements: anyone can visit the food pantry, regardless of household income or town of residency. The two-week wait limit has also been lifted. Clients are able to visit the food pantry as often as needed.

The soup kitchen has been preparing and handing-out “to-go bags” for clients. These bags are a pre-selected assortment of proteins, fruits and vegetables that come in daily from local retail grocery stores. The addition of these bags gives clients one more choice at the soup kitchen. There has always been a hot meat or vegetarian option; there is now also a cold, to-go bag option as well.

Creating a socially-distant, contact-free hunger prevention program certainly was never Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program’s plan. It is hard to offer dignity and empowerment to the community from afar, but with the help of dedicated volunteers, extremely dedicated volunteers, the program has been able to stay open and provide food to anyone in need throughout the pandemic. Our client numbers in October and November were astronomical, the highest in the organization’s history by far. This is a sad and telling indicator that people in our community are struggling, and will continue to need our help this winter more than ever before.

As 2020 comes to an end let’s take a look back and thank those that helped us through the year. Thank you to all the dedicated program volunteers. Through social distancing rules and limited staffing, you continued to support the community and each other. Thank you to the board of directors; your thoughtful and quick actions made it possible for the program to remain open and support the community. Thank you to all program clients. Your understanding, flexibility, and determination never goes unnoticed. And thank you to the staff, whose unwavering commitment to helping others continues to ensure that we are here, every day, to provide a meal. Here’s to 2021. Wishing you a safe and healthy new year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all community members are eligible to receive Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program services from the food pantry and soup kitchen. The food pantry is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

Lunch is available 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, and noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays

Both services are located at the program’s facility at 12 Tenney Way, Brunswick.

If you would like to volunteer, donate, or learn more about Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, please visit www.mchpp.org.

Kassie Pierce is an intern at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. Giving Voice is a weekly collaboration among four local non-profit service agencies to share information and stories about their work in the community.

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