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Dear Friends,
By now you have likely read the terrific news that the new AIO facility in Rockland is open! This new building is exceeding our expectations in every way. Every client who comes inside to shop our food shelves remarks how inviting the space feels, and how many amazing food choices are available. Our Volunteer teams are thrilled about the ways we are operating and serving clients in a safe manner. We have welcomed many new volunteers, and we are grateful for their dedication to the community. We are now able to unload hundreds of pounds of food using our new loading dock. Our aging backs are so grateful for all of the equipment which makes managing the movement and storage food so much easier. Our Weekend Meal program has moved operations into the new space and the assembly line is meeting each week to create meal kits for children. Thanks to the Knox County Gleaners, the new vegetable root cellar has been abundant and beautiful with fresh, local vegetables. We would really love to give you a tour of our new home. Send us an email if you are interested (email@aiofoodpantry.org).
And now, as we turn our attention to the fall, two critical AIO Programs are launching: Weekend Meal and Energy Assistance which you can read more about below. This article from Children's Watch captures the essence of the critical intersection between food and energy insecurity:
When most of us think about poverty and hunger, our minds direct us to the bare kitchen table or the empty refrigerator. Few of us would also imagine the thermostat turned to “off” or an electricity shut-off notice arriving in the mail. The reality is that America’s low-income families must struggle constantly to protect their children from multiple threats to their health and growth, of which energy insecurity can at times be the most immediately life-threatening.
In “heat or eat” situations, families strive in vain for a safe balance between paying for food and paying for energy.
This is our mission and we are so grateful for your support of our work.
My best to you and your families,
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Last week, the Weekend Meal Program (WMP) sent the first round of weekly meal kit deliveries to enrolled students at our Knox County partner schools! We had six wonderful volunteers join us for our first assembly line at the new warehouse and were happy to see that our new system was both fun and efficient. Many thanks to our volunteers for their enthusiasm and feedback!
his school year we sent open enrollment forms to 
We anticipate the need for AIO’s critical, supplemental heating assistance to be significant this winter so we have expanded our volunteer team and our client service hours. Do you have a neighbor, family member or friend who could benefit from our support? Please refer them to us.
As we approach the colder weather, the AIO Energy Assistance program volunteers are thinking of ways to help our Midcoast neighbors stay warm. In addition to providing 100 gallons of heating product to our clients (starts in November), we would like to also provide a Door Draft Stopper (or two?) 
