Food pantries in Washington and Charlotte counties are holding their own as the colder months of winter begin, and all are dependent upon the generosity of volunteers as well as financial patrons.
     Lynn Rutledge, head of the Greater Eastport Ecumenical Churches Association (GEECA), which manages the Labor of Love Food Nutrition Center and Garrapy Food Pantry in Eastport, says, "Without our donors, we wouldn't be able to do very much. We count on the community to help so everything runs smoothly."
     "The way we treat each other is very important," she stresses. "Love is the medium we deal with at the food pantry, and we want people to love your neighbor as yourself."
     "We want people to look at our new website, <eastportlaboroflove.org>, which explains how we help and how people can contribute," she stresses. "John Widelski has put in a lot of time setting up the website. We want you to press the big blue button."
     "There are so many ways that make it very easy for people to contribute," says Rutledge. "They can choose a one-time donation or one on a regular basis, and they have a choice of where they want it to go to, including insurance, and I appreciate when people indicate where it is needed most.      They can even leave an honor or remembrance gift." She adds, "I love the feedback and comments people have been leaving."
     The Labor of Love Food Nutrition Center and Garrapy Food Pantry is open for regular food distribution on Fridays from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the second Tuesday of the month from 9 to 11 a.m. Emergency food distribution is on Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Lubec pantry offers choices
     Lubec Community Food Pantry director Cathy Arrington reports that she and a group of dedicated volunteers are currently serving 260 people who come from Cutler, Dennysville, East Machias, Edmunds, Lubec, Machias, Machiasport, Pembroke, Trescott and Whiting.
     "We have great volunteers who have donated more than 1,500 hours of their valuable time this year, which includes the youth group," she says.
     "The response was overwhelming from pantry participants when we switched to being a choice pantry," adds Arrington. "We had many comments from people thanking us for knowing that they could decide for themselves what they wanted to eat. This was very meaningful for us and a realization that we are very literally living our mission."
     "Six months after changing to a choice model, we saw the work of volunteers decrease 22% and pantry expenses decrease 28% because we weren't wasting food that people didn't want," reports Arrington. "Distribution was cut in half and, more importantly, that helped restore a sense of pride for people struggling with the daily effects of living in poverty."
     "Anything we can do that gives people hope breeds more hope and potential for forward movement."
     The Lubec Community Food Pantry is located in the former Lubec High School and is open on the third Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.

Calais food pantry feeds many
     The Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry in Calais, which has been serving clients from Vanceboro down to Edmunds, has seen many new clients this winter.
     In addition to the five churches supporting it - St. Anne's Episcopal, First Congregational, Second Baptist, Immaculate Conception and United Methodist - the thrift shop brings in money to help pay for expenses.
     The Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry is open on Mondays from 3 to 5 p.m.; Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon; and Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m. For more information, call 214-8553.

Campobello helps neighbors
     Donna Barker of the Campobello Food Bank, which opens on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in St. Anne's Anglican Church, says this winter things have been going "so-so" for the charity, which is run by a committee of four volunteers.
  "We're serving 12 households. Some are families, and the others are individuals who need help."
     "If they can't get to the food bank, we'll deliver to them," points out Barker. "On New Year's night, through our Campobello Clothesline, we were also able to give warm clothes and bedding to a mother and her 10-year-old son who were in an emergency situation because they had nothing to wear."
     "They know we're here to help no matter what time they need us."
     For more information, call Donna Barker at 506-752-2131.

Big hearts on Grand Manan
     Carolyn Cook and Tammy Brown are two of the Action Ministries volunteers who staff the Grand Manan food bank located in the Pentecostal Assembly basement, and both agree that islanders are very generous in supporting their neighbors who need assistance.
     "We're very pleased with how things are going this winter," says Cook. "We have more in stock than we usually have, and for the past year and a half Independent Grocer has given us lots of support by setting up a program in the store where they will put a couple of items in a bag by the register for people to buy for us on the way out, and all of those items are placed in a big wooden box."
     "They are always asking us what we are low on, so they can make sure those things are purchased," she adds. "And although we don't buy toiletries ourselves, people have been extremely generous in donating them."
     "With all of the cold, we know that there are food bank clients who are getting large power bills, but we are very blessed that islanders have been giving to the food pantry and things are going very well right now," says Tammy Brown. "I think the important overview is that people who are economically doing very well are very generous to those who need assistance. Islanders helping islanders."
     "We also have a thrift store in Castalia, and that is an amazing place where people can stop to pick out clothes and get a hug," she points out.
     Hours for the Grand Manan food bank are every Tuesday and Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. For more information, call Janet Ingersoll at 506-662-3286.

Deer Island in 'good shape'
     Joyce Stuart has been assisting with the Deer Island food bank since 1989 and says, "We are in pretty good shape this winter."
     "We are not that big, so we usually serve four to five families, although it varies, and we've been up to seven families."
     She notes that a lot of islanders are doing well financially during the fishing season, "and we have been doing good with donations, so we are in good shape right now."
     For more information, call Joyce Stuart at 506-747-2086.