About 25 volunteers braved chilly weather on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to help prepare to inaugurate the new Lubec Community Food Pantry. The first distribution was scheduled for Wednesday, January 20, at the Lubec Community Outreach Center (LCOC) facility located in the former high school wing. The group plans to make deliveries on the third Wednesday of each month.
     Ann Sawtelle, long‑time operator of the now closed Whiting Community Food Pantry, and several of her volunteers were on hand to help make sure the first delivery was properly set up. "I'm very pleased with what they've got going here," she said, "and I'm jealous about the space they have. It's wonderful." Sawtelle gave credit to volunteers for making her operation a success. "I can make all the plans I want," she said, "but it's people who make it happen." She also pointed out that the new location is closer to most of the clientele, including many Lubec residents who previously traveled to Whiting.
     Sawtelle was asked about the matter of registered sex offenders being barred from the facility. This issue had been raised frequently during town discussions prior to voters denying funding for demolition of the shuttered facility. "During the time I ran it in Whiting there was only one person on that list," she said. "I think people were using it as an excuse to be against this." The LCOC has committed to making deliveries to any food pantry clients who would be restricted from entering the facility.
     LCOC Executive Director Cathy Arrington slowed down long enough for a brief interview. "It's really great to see so much of the community here to help out," she said. "I'm really excited."
The LCOC also operates the Hornets' Hearth food distribution program at the school, providing weekend food for students who receive subsidized meals during the week.