As election day unfolds on Nov. 2, partisans on all sides can take steps to ensure that there is something they can feel good about, win or lose.
The Biddeford-Saco Rotary Club hopes is calling for a landslide of food for local food pantries. Collections will take place at the polls in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach. The amount of nonperishable food supplies collected depends on the turnout, but in Old Orchard Beach and Saco, the club plans to fill up an entire school bus.
This nonpartisan “Stuff the Bus” campaign welcomes the support of Democrats, Republicans, Tea Party members, Greens, independents and all others exercising their right to vote.
School buses will be parked at Saco and Old Orchard Beach polls, and volunteers will be collecting donations at each polling site in Biddeford. A suggested list of donations includes canned tomatoes, baked beans, peanut butter, cereals, pasta, cake mixes, macaroni and cheese, canned fruit and soups.
The food will be distributed to the Stone Soup Food Pantry of Biddeford, Saco Food Pantry and Old Orchard Beach Food Pantry and Clothes Closet.
Cash donations will also be accepted. As Bob Nichols of the Saco Food Pantry pointed out, every dollar spent at the Good Shepherd Food bank buys more than $12 worth of food.
The pressure on pantries to provide food to those in need continues to grow. As Kathy Duke of Stone Soup said this week, “As fast as we get it in, it goes out.”
Political campaigns are in the midst of get-out-the-vote drives, and we hope their telephone calls, advertising and e-mails bring plenty of voters to the polls, with tote bags full of food donations.
— Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.
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