‘Feed the Need’ receives big check for area food panties

Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Vice President
Jennifer Arsenault, left, Gary Bibeau of the Raymond
Food Pantry, SLRCC Executive Director Robin Mullins,
Joan Vail of the Casco Village Church, Deb Howard of the
Sebago Warming Hut Food Pantry, Annie Bowlman of the 
Naples Community Resource Council, Colette Gagnon of 
the Windham Food Pantry, Kari Reed of the Crosswalk
Community Outreach Naples, Raymond Town Manager 
Don Willard, SLRCC President Deb McPhail and Donna Rans
of the Gary Food Pantry gather at the SLRCC offices on 
Monday, May 23 for the disbursement of 'Feed the Need'
monies raised through several local fundraisers.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA      

By Matt Pascarella

The “Feed the Need” initiative was originally started in 2012 by Sherri Huff, CEO of Lee’s Family Trailer Sales and Service and Allen Faraday, Executive Vice President of Windham Weaponry. Both were active board directors of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce who noticed a growing amount of people struggling with food insecurity in the Sebago Lakes region.

Through several fundraisers this year, along with donor donations, the “Feed the Need” initiative raised over $25,000 for distribution to the 11 food pantries in eight towns: Casco, Gray, Naples, New Gloucester, Sebago, Standish, Raymond and Windham. And an event was held at the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce office in Windham on Monday, May 23 to distribute the checks to the food pantries in these towns.

“This year was a phenomenal year,” said Sebago Lakes Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Robin Mullins. “The community stepped up ...  to be at $25,000 is absolutely amazing.”

In 2012, Huff and Faraday started the Community Coin Challenge and Octoberfest Celebration to raise money and awareness in support of the food panties in the Sebago Lake region.

From 2012 to 2016 the “Feed the Need” initiative raised over $80,000. In 2016 the chamber created an official 501(c)3 non-profit, the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber Charitable Trust to enhance the initiative.

Funds are raised via online donations as part of the chamber’s annual Bid of Christmas event, the annual Polar Dip as well as Walmart who donates $1,000 each year to the initiative.

This year the SLRCC Charitable Trust was fortunate to receive a $5,000 grant from the John T. Gorman Foundation.

February’s Polar Dip, part of the Rotary Club’s Fishing Derby, where participants jumped into 32-degree temperature water was a big success; it raised over $11,000 for “Feed the Need”.

Gary Bibeau is the manager at Raymond Food Pantry. On average, his pantry serves 79 families a month.

He has seen an increase in the numbers of those struggling with food insecurity. The money makes a big difference and will be used solely to purchase food.

“Donations go up and down,” said Bibeau. “Sometimes our donation resources aren’t there. We run strictly by donations. If the towns don’t provide money, we don’t run the pantry.”

He is very thankful for the money raised and said a big thank you to those who helped and continue to help.

Deborah Howard runs and is board president of the Sebago Warming Hut Food Pantry which serves between 26 – 30 families per week. The money she received will be used directly to purchase food.

She also runs a clothes closet on Saturdays where anyone can come in and get free clothes.

“Our community is wonderful,” said Howard. “I cannot say enough nice things about them.”

She wants individuals to not just have food, but healthy food that will feed developing children’s brains and help people be able to work well.

“It’s a community thing; from many different sources and it’s just people who are generous and caring and want to make sure people are fed and clothed,” said Howard.

Since the start of the “Feed the Need” initiative in 2012, the SLRCC has given $150,000 to fight food insecurity in the region. <