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A Letter from Our Board President
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Dear Friends,
As we celebrate the official start of summer, I know we are all looking for some sense of normalcy, whatever this may look like in our new reality. Everyone has faced unforeseen challenges these last months, AIO included, but with the outpouring of support we have been able to keep the pantry's shelves well-stocked. While worries will continue, the one thing we don't want families to worry about is having enough food. AIO is here for anyone and everyone who needs food.
We know the pandemic is not yet over. Recent studies shared by Feeding America / Good Shepherd Food Bank show that the statewide rates of hunger are projected to grow by as much as 40% in 2020. Knox County has the 4th highest rates in the state, with food insecurity projected to increase 46% overall. Child hunger is projected to increase 52%. Food insecurity is not going away anytime soon and AIO will be here for anyone who needs support.
As we head into summer AIO has several competing priorities. Critical for AIO is raising the remaining funds needed for our new building so we can open the doors as soon as possible. Our new building will be essential to our ability to help more people, especially in light of the projected rise in hunger in Knox County. A grateful thank you to all who have supported the campaign thus far. We are where we are in the campaign because of you. Please help us spread the word. We have $165k to go...and we need everyone's help to get us to the finish! You can read about our progress below.
As the team sets its course for the summer and fall, we are working to ensure that our food and energy assistance programs are ready to go. A committee of community members has been working to reshape the Weekend Meal Program (formerly known as the Backpack Program). We are looking for a new Program Manager to oversee this critical program...and funding to support this position. AIO is using this relative "calm before the storm" to make plans for moving forward in anticipation of the projected increase in need.
Based on the data and projections for Knox County we must succeed and are doing everything we can to prepare - with your support we will serve the community in the best way possible. Our commitment to this community has only increased in recent months, and it will continue.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions, ideas or would like to discuss how you can help.
With gratitude,
Liz Jenkins, Board President
email: boardpresident@aiofoodpantry.org
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Meet AIO's Board of Directors
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AIO has been volunteer-powered since it's beginning. AIO's Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from our partner congregations as well as individual community members. AIO would like to recognize our current Board, who give so generously of their time and expertise. Outside of their official duties, they are a resource to you, our community, so we hope you will connect with them if you have questions about our programs or would like to discuss how you can be involved.
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A note from Warehouse Manager, Joe Ryan:
For the safety of all, we are still following curbside pick up only, and clients are receiving pre-packed family boxes. We are well-stocked with a variety of quality food. We are receiving wonderful donations of food from Hannaford, Shaws, and Walmart weekly (thanks to our partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank). We have also established an ongoing weekly delivery of fresh eggs and milk. And, with summer's arrival, fresh produce is abundant, including deliveries from local farms.
To better serve the community during the COVID-19 outbreak and to meet the challenges we are all facing, AIO Food Pantry’s one visit per month policy has been temporarily suspended. We invite everyone who would like food assistance to come as often as they need help. We have plenty of food and we’re ready to safely and equitably distribute food assistance to everyone.
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Summer Lunch Kits will be available for parents to pick up at the Food Pantry each Monday during our regular open hours of 9:30am - 12:00pm
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Weekend Meal Program
(formerly known as Child Hunger or Weekend Backpack)
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This AIO Weekend Meal food assistance program
ensures that kids and their families have snacks and meals on the weekends, an often vulnerable time for children in particular.
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AIO’S WEEKEND MEAL PROGRAM GETS AN UPDATE!
As the leadership of the Weekend Meal Program (WMP) changes, the program is undergoing transitions to improve its transparency, efficiency and coordination with AIO’s volunteer and food logistics processes. A team of dedicated individuals has undertaken the task of re-imagining the Weekend Meal Program as a centralized part of AIO, the “WMP Transition Project”.
The team is reviewing processes and documenting procedures, roles and critical resources to make it successful and sustainable. As part of the re-vamp, the Weekend Meal Program will move to the AIO campus, which will minimize handling and movement of food and materials.
AIO is taking steps to make a successful program even more robust by increasing its capacity to serve students who are food-insecure with a process that is less labor-intensive, more sustainable and well-documented.
Increasing the WMP’s capacity is critical for school year 2020-21, as indicated by Feeding America / Good Shepherd Food Bank’s recent statewide food insecurity projections, which estimate a staggering 52 percent increase in child food insecurity for Knox County from 2018 to the end of this year. A key to the Weekend Meal Program's success is being able to hire a part time Program Manager to oversee the program. We hope the community will be able to help fund this role for the fall.
We look forward to sharing more about the program and discussing ways you can help support Knox County children. Please contact us weekendmeal@aiofoodpantry.org to arrange a phone call. Thank you.
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We are incredibly grateful to the John T. Gorman Foundation for their grant in support of AIO's Food and Energy Assistance Programs. The Foundation's generosity helps AIO continue our work in providing food and energy assistance to families in Knox County who need our support most.
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“For 30 years, Area Interfaith Outreach has offered critical food and energy assistance to residents of Knox County. But more than that, they have created a judgment-free environment where clients can feel comfortable asking for assistance and know that they’re not going through difficult situations alone. The John T. Gorman Foundation is privileged to continue supporting AIO’s vital initiatives in Midcoast Maine," shares Lauralee Raymond, Program Associate of the John T. Gorman Foundation.
You can read more about the Foundation's gift HERE.
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United Midcoast Charities Grant
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AIO Food Pantry is grateful to be one of the thirty-two non-profit organizations awarded a grant from United Midcoast Charities.
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UMC expedited their annual grants review process earlier than usual to help ease the financial burdens created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s an honor and privilege to announce this year’s UMC grant awards three months ahead of schedule,” said United Midcoast Charities Board President Betsy Saltonstall. "This early release of funds will enable our nonprofit partners to meet the increased needs they’re encountering in our communities as they continue and expand their work.”
You can read more about the grants HERE.
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AIO Food Pantry Volunteers
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A message from Food Pantry Shift Manager Team Leader, Diann Henderson
 We are missing so many of you at the pantry, both because many have chosen to shelter at home and because we have reduced numbers. We all look forward to your return when we move back to client shopping, when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, here is an update on volunteer work at the pantry now:
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The shift managers (Vera Roberts, Diann Henderson, Julia Swan, Maureen Dean and Vicki Siegal) and our Warehouse Manager Joe Ryan, are discussing how operations will happen in the new pantry. The new pantry will be finished as soon as we are able to raise the remaining money needed, about $165,000. This may take several months. It looks like we will be continuing curbside delivery all summer whether in the current or new pantry. That means staying with 5 volunteers in the pantry (perhaps 1 or 2 more in the new), plus one outside to do the outside check-in. With such a small number, volunteers are being scheduled and no volunteers may drop in. This has created highly efficient teams even though much smaller in number.
Whenever we are able to shift operations back to client shopping we will continue having scheduled volunteer positions (no drop-in volunteers), to improve our efficiency and service to clients. We are preparing a volunteer handbook of what is expected of volunteers and a volunteer agreement that everyone signs. We will conduct required new volunteer training sessions on a regular basis. In a way, it is starting all over for the pantry due to the changes with C-19 and the move to the new building. We will have a meeting of all volunteers, new and returning, to set the guidelines, sign the volunteer agreements, talk about the various positions, sanitary procedures update, and in general prepare for a return to client shopping when that is possible.
There will be a variety of volunteer positions in the three AIO programs (Food Pantry, Weekend Meal, Energy Assistance), many during the open hours, but many others working with repackaging food, stocking shelves etc. It will be a very exciting time for us all as we move into this new larger, beautiful and well-designed pantry!
A thanks to all you have contributed to AIO and a wish for us all to be together again at AIO!
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Progress Report: New Food Pantry Building
Location: 1A Gordon Drive, in the Rockland Industrial Park,
just beyond the current food pantry located at the corners of
Thomaston Street and Gordon Drive (across from the South School)
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We invite you to watch this video which highlights
the importance of this building in our community.
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New Building Campaign Update
We launched the public (and final) phase of the campaign in early June. With support received thus far, we have just $165,000 to go!
Community support- large or small- is critical to us reaching the finish.
EVERY GIFT HELPS.
($5, $10, $25, $50...)
Your gift will be matched, thanks to a generous donor, doubling the impact. Can you help us move our food pantry operations to 1A Gordon Drive?
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Things are rolling along.....
The driveway and parking lot were recently paved.
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Creating a Welcoming Environment
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Waiting Room Mural
While completing the physical building is top priority, we are excited to explore hiring a local artist to create a mural in our new waiting room.
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Conversations have begun, but we need to raise $4k before we can press go.
If you have any interest in supporting the mural project please contact Liz Jenkins, boardpresident@aiofoodpantry.org.
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We are grateful to Barbara Karp of Karp Graphic Design for her generous gift of time and talent in creating some of our campaign materials, including this lovely campaign interactive PDF. Please take a look and share!
Karp Graphic Design calls mid-coast Maine home, and specializes in graphic identity, brochures, magazines, print/banner ads, signage, and web sites. They pride themselves on keeping "our overhead low and our standards high."
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AIO's new website
has launched!
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