Hunger and food insecurity are not new challenges for Maine families; nearly 14 percent of the state’s households were considered to be food-insecure as of fall 2019. But the Covid-19 outbreak and its aftermath threaten to take the problem to new levels. It may be, however, that along with a spike in demand will come increased awareness and response, as organizations and initiatives, old and new, step up to meet the need, including in New Gloucester.
Here and in neighboring towns, food pantries, always important, are now considered essential services. New Gloucester’s community food pantry, open to all residents, is located on the grounds of the First Congregational Church, 19 Gloucester Hill Road, and coordinated by the church. It is open the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, from 8 to 9:30 am. Its key partners include the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn and Hannaford in Gray.
Food pantries in Gray and Cumberland also welcome New Gloucester residents and offer alternative open hours. Check below for details. All area food pantries are following social-distancing and other health and safety precautions, even offering curbside pick-up or loading groceries straight into your car.
If you’re unable to get to the New Gloucester food pantry, contact Morgan Rocheleau, NG director of parks and recreation. Rocheleau is coordinating local volunteers to deliver essentials to homes, among other services, as part of the town’s new Community Wellness Outreach program. He can be reached at 926-4126 ext. 231 or via email at recdirector@newgloucester.com
If you’d like to donate items, the NG food pantry particularly welcomes protein-rich items: canned fish, canned meat, soups with chicken and beef, baked beans, peanut butter, eggs. Ready-to-go baking mixes are also helpful: think muffins, pancakes, cornbread. In addition, donations of jam, jelly, fruit juice, coffee/tea, bar soap, liquid laundry detergent, and garbage bags are especially welcome.
Donations can be dropped off at the church office during business hours. Call the church office at 926-3260 with any questions or for more information. A donation bin is also located on the ramp at the Community Building in the Town Hall complex on Intervale Road. Click here for hours, requested items, and details. For more information about New Gloucester’s Wellness Outreach initiative, click here.
If you’d prefer to donate money, send a check made out to “New Gloucester Food Pantry” to the First Congregational Church, P.O. Box 114, New Gloucester, or drop it off at the church office during business hours. Financial contributions are especially useful, as they let pantry volunteers purchase in bulk or to fill gaps in needed items. The Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn also needs and welcomes support as the state’s largest hunger relief organization.
If you’d like to volunteer, contact the church at 926-3260. Among other roles, the pantry relies on community volunteers to pick up goods at Hannaford in Gray and Good Shepherd in Auburn.
How to access resources:
- The New Gloucester Community Food Pantry:
- Located behind the First Congregational Church on the Church Road side
- Open the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, from 8 to 9:30 a.m.
- Must be residents of New Gloucester
- Questions or FMI, contact: Linda Gard, First Congregational Church, 926-3260
- The Community Food Pantry in Cumberland:
- Serves residents of Cumberland, North Yarmouth, Pownal, and New Gloucester
- Located on the ground floor at the back of the Cumberland Town Hall, 290 Tuttle Rd.
- Open 1st, 2nd, and 4th Friday of every month from 3-6 p.m.
- For more information, visit the Cumberland Food Pantry website
- Gray Food Pantry:
- Open to New Gloucester residents
- Located at the Gray Congregational Church Parish House, 5 Brown St.
- Open 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month from 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.
- For more information, contact Donna Rand at donna.graypantry@gmail.com
- Bread of Life Community Food Pantry, Crossroads Community Church in Gray:
- Open to New Gloucester and Gray residents
- Located at 14 Lewiston Road, Gray
- Open Sundays 1-2:30 pm, except April 12 (Easter)
- For more information, check their website here
- Need items brought to your home? Contact Morgan Rocheleau, NG Parks and Recreation Director, at 926-4126 ext. 231 or via email at recdirector@newgloucester.com
Photos: Joanne Cole
