Stroudwater Food Pantry Status – 1/6/19

Hi Team – 2019 flew in with a bang as your Stroudwater Food Pantry had a very busy first week of the new year!  On Sunday the 6th we served 46 families, providing groceries to a total of 125 people this week.  11 new families joined the pantry, in just our first week of the new year!

Our supermarket fresh rescue food pickups, outside donations, and purchased foods totaled well over a ton, at 2,737 lbs. Volunteers for this week included Adam P, Al W, Anna, Anne, Pastor Bill, Cat, Clay & Damaris, Debbie S, Dee Dee, Jean, Laura, Lois, Michael M, Mike H, Nicki, Phil, Rena, Sandra, Steve, and myself.

On Friday afternoon the 4th a bus load of teens from the My Place Teen Center came to the pantry and built 228 Roadside Assistance food bags for homeless people standing in the street.  This event was coordinated with Governor Mills’ Day of Community Service, and was covered by both WMTW and the Portland Press Herald.

2018 was an amazing year for your Stroudwater Food Pantry.  Our Annual Report is not yet ready for distribution, but a few of the highlights include:

• 528 families are actively enrolled to receive groceries from the Stroudwater Food Pantry.  Families came to the pantry for groceries more than 2,500 times this the year.
• SFP ran a four day food pantry in Washington County the last week of July, distributing two tons of non-perishable groceries to the communities of Princeton, Big Lake, and Indian Township.
• 164 Thanksgiving dinners were provided to families in the greater Portland area who otherwise would not have had a Thanksgiving dinner.
• 25 Christmas dinners were transported to families in Princeton, Washington County.
• In all, 65 tons of groceries were distributed this year, an equivalent to an estimated 325,000 meals provided to the meal insecure across the state of Maine.

As we turn our hopes and ambitions to the start of a new year, may the Lord continue to bless this ministry of Stroudwater Christian Church, our many volunteers who make this ministry possible, and the communities whom we serve.  Happy New Year everyone!                  — Doug

To learn more about your Stroudwater Food Pantry, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/stroudwaterfoodpantry/