STANDISH – At least one local food pantry that relied on the federal government for meeting its food budget expenses was dealt a blow earlier this month as all funding to Cumberland County pantries was completely cut.
Maine, which used to receive $815,000 in Emergency Food and Shelter funding, distributed locally by the United Way of Greater Portland, will now receive $347,000 – with wealthier counties like York and Cumberland and four others getting no funding at all.
Locally, that drop in federal funds is hurting Catherine’s Cupboard in Standish. Other food pantries in the area continue struggling to meet the demand, but do not rely on federal funds.
But Don Morrison, program director for the Wayside Food Rescue, based in Portland, said the loss in federal funding could have a “trickle-down” effect in time.
Now, he said, he has until spring to find new funds, or he will have trouble keeping vehicles on the road delivering food to local pantries and charities, including groups in Westbrook.
“All of our money, our fuel assistance, has been eliminated,” he said. “That was a pretty big hit for us to take.”
Morrison remained confident, however, that he would be able to keep food moving to those who need it.
“We just have to be more creative with our funding sources,” he said. “It’s not going to stop us, that’s for sure.”
Amy Russell, director of Catherine’s Cupboard, which operates out of a specially designed and recently built wing of the Standish Town Hall on Route 35, says the pantry usually receives $2,000 a year from the federal Emergency Food and Shelter fund and this year had applied for $3,000. With the government’s decision not to fund Cumberland County pantries, based on poverty rates calculated using the 2010 Census, the Standish pantry will no longer receive support.
“We have relied on it for the last two years, it’s our entire spending budget,” Russell said.
She said the pantry runs “a tight ship” and is able to feed about 120 to 150 families a month with the money. They used the federal money to buy food from Walmart and Hannaford, but get most of their food from Wayside Food Rescue in Portland. The loss of funding will mean Russell reaches out more to the local community, something she says they already do.
“If I’m low on food, I rather go to the local community and say, hey, we’re in need. That’s our philosophy, trying to keep it local. And the community has always come out and supported us,” Russell said.
That Standish support will be needed now more than ever as Russell reports 15 new families taking advantage of the pantry in July alone and food prices “skyrocketing.” She said only a few months ago, she could buy 35 boxes of cereal for about $70. Since then, it has increased to about $85. That, and winter is coming quick, which means families will need to purchase heating fuel and probably have less to spend on food.
Despite the news, Russell is confident Catherine’s Cupboard, which also features piggybacking programs such as a lending library, family fitness classes, smoking cessation and cooking classes, is around for the long haul.
“There’s always the potential for the program to not make the cut but we have such great support, from the town, the college, so I don’t feel like Catherine’s Cupboard is in any danger of closing,” Russell said. “Our integrity, however, may be weakened, we may not be able to run so many programs, but I would hope that doesn’t happen.”
At the Westbrook Food Pantry, Jane Rielly, the director, said this week the pantry gets food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but funding comes largely from donations by local businesses, churches and charitable organizations. The rest of the pantry’s funding, she said, comes from the city, not the federal government.
“We’ll still be getting USDA food,” she said.
Her biggest worry right now, Rielly said, is about seeing the usual collection of local food drives beginning in the fall.
“We’d just like to see food drives start up again,” she said.
Gwen Hatch, director of the Buxton Food Pantry, said Tuesday the pantry depends on donations from organizations like Boy Scouts, schools and a post office food drive.
“People in Buxton are very generous,” Hatch said.
Hatch said the pantry serves 125 people monthly.
Hatch said every Friday children from Living Waters Christian Church donate food to the pantry.
“They look so happy,” Hatch said.
JoAnn Groder, director of Buxton Community Food Co-op on Route 22, receives donations from Hannaford and the Snell Family Farm in Buxton. Groder said Snells delivers “bushels” of vegetables including corn, squash, potatoes, cucumbers and beet greens.
Groder said the food co-op received $3,500 from the town this year but does not receive federal funds. It serves 40 to 60 people on each of the four days and numbers have been increasing.
“It’s busy,” Groder said.
Fran Doucette, director of Gorham Food Pantry, said it serves about 100 households monthly.
“We anticipate because of federal cuts across the board an increase in numbers this fall,” Doucette said.
Gorham Town Manager David Cole said the Gorham Food Pantry doesn’t receive any money from the town.
Doucette said there’s talk of new federal funding cuts that could impact families and senior citizens.
“We anticipate a significant jump in numbers,” she said.
Staff writers Sean Murphy and Robert Lowell contributed to this report.
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