GroundBreaking Ceremony: October 12, 2019
THANK YOU for attending our groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, October 12 at 10:00am at 1A Gordon Drive in Rockland. AIO purchased the adjacent property one year ago, with plans to renovate and expand the building to increase AIO’s capacity and ability to serve the community: More Food. More Often. Please join us as we embark on this new adventure.
Our new building will include a larger waiting room, a private intake office, as well as consultative offices for the AIO Energy Assistance voucher program and other community partnerships such as a public health nurse from the Knox Clinic and case managers from area agencies. New construction will add 2,000 square feet and will include a loading dock, food receiving and processing areas, commercial refrigeration, a more efficient food market, and other major improvements.
In partnership with Penquis, a grant from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation supports the building of a fresh produce distribution center, serving all nine food pantries in Knox County. Produce will come from the Knox County Gleaners, backyard/personal gardens, the Rockland Community Garden, as well as the Good Shepherd Mainers Feeding Mainers program.
For several months, AIO has worked with architect, Zander Shaw, to design a highly efficient and functioning food pantry which will better serve our community. The plan was presented to the Rockland Planning Board on August 6 by Gartley & Dorsky and was unanimously approved.
Construction started on September 16 and will continue into the spring, with the goal of opening in summer 2020. Projects of this size require support and AIO is launching a campaign this fall to raise the necessary funds to support the project. “We’re excited to start talking with members of our community to seek their participation in this effort. We have had some early, generous supporters step-up to get us where we are, but are now seeking additional leadership commitments to ensure we can open on-time, and on-budget,” AIO Board President Liz Jenkins said. With this new community building, AIO will be able to provide more food and wrap around services to our neighbors across Knox County, including the islands. We invite the community to learn more about the project and how they can help.
Many have asked – what will happen with the current building? Most importantly, the AIO Child Hunger Weekend Backpack program will move out of its current location at Nativity Lutheran Church in Rockport who have graciously hosted the program since our beginnings in 2015. We also will provide space to the Midcoast Diaper Project, as well as One Less Worry; both groups provide much needed basic necessities to our community. There are some other possibilities which are under discussion and are very exciting – more to come as plans come together.
Until summer 2020, we will continue to serve our clients from our current food pantry located at 70 Thomaston Street (corner of Gordon and Thomaston Streets), in the Rockland Industrial Park. Due to the construction, no volunteers nor clients will be allowed to park at 1A Gordon Drive so parking will again need to happen along Gordon Drive.
For more information about how you might support the project, please contact Paul Spizzuoco via email@aiofoodpantry.org