WESTBROOK – The United Way of Greater Portland kicked off its fall fundraising season Tuesday with a first-ever food drive outside Mission Possible Teen Center in Westbrook.
“Our goal is to fill the truck,” said Suzanne McCormick, the United Way president and CEO, as she pointed to a large box truck provided by Wayside Food Programs, which is distributing all the food collected in the day-long event.
They didn’t fill the truck, but the combined food drive collected 5,442 pounds of food. The drive also collected $1,100 in cash donations, too, according to a release from the United Way on Wednesday.
Starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, a group of about 21 volunteers waved signs, rattled noisemakers, and even dressed up like vegetables to get the attention of passing cars.
“The people that have stopped have been very excited by it,” said Karen Stephenson, a volunteer coordinator for the United Way.
Stephenson said she was grateful to Mission Possible for volunteering its location for the event.
“They’ve been really nice about letting us have the space,” she said. “It’s a good central location.”
Don Morrison, operations director for Wayside, said last year, the United Way held a similar event, but it was only in Portland.
This year, Morrison said, with events – dubbed “Can Hunger”– in both Westbrook and Portland, organizers were anticipating a great response.
McCormick said the drives represent a change from the traditional fall fundraising kickoff, which used to consist of one large rally in Portland.
“It’s important for us to show a presence in communities outside of Portland, as well,” she said.
Morrison noted that food collected in the drive benefits many organizations throughout Cumberland County and Westbrook, including the Vineyard Church, the Westbrook Food Pantry, and Mission Possible itself. The teen center, which has been struggling, is now close to making back the $50,000 it lost during city and state budget cutbacks earlier this summer.
Mayor Colleen Hilton, who dropped off a donation of food, thanked the United Way for its work collecting food.
“We’re seeing more and more food insecurity issues in Westbrook,” she said. “Donations of food are critical.”
Hilton, who grew up in Westbrook as one of seven children in a single-income family, remembered how hard it was to keep meals on the table.
“We really struggled growing up,” she said.
McCormick said the United Way held the drives on Sept. 11 in remembrance of the terrorist attacks in 2001.
“It’s such a great way to show how the strength of caring got our community through that tough time,” she said.
The United Way of Greater Portland partners with nearly 40 agencies to support 89 programs that serve a broad range of populations and issues.
Westbrook Mayor Colleen Hilton speaks at a food drive in front of the Mission Possible Teen Center on Tuesday, with Suzanne McCormick, CEO of United Way of Greater Portland and Donna Dwyer of Mission Possible. Volunteers from the United Way collected nonperishable foods and money at simultaneous drives in Westbrook and Portland for distribution to food pantries throughout Cumberland County.
Westbrook Mayor Colleen Hilton delivers some food items with the help of Suzanne McCormick, CEO of United Way of Greater Portland, at a food drive in front of the Mission Possible Teen Center on Tuesday.
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