2015 was an amazing year for the Ecumenical Food Pantry (EFP) in Newcastle. Most amazing was a gift of more vital space for storage. The Second Congregational Church in Newcastle, where the Food Pantry operates, provided a larger room for the EFP to expand its storage. The operation had been overflowing its space for quite some time. Now the EFP can embark on new possibilities in serving the needs of the local community.

First on the ‘to-do’ list for the year was to apply for a Matthew 25 Award from Catholic Charities Maine. While awaiting the results, EFP purchased heavy-duty shelving, so volunteers could better organize and expand the inventory required to feed an average of 65 families per week.

In June, the pantry learned that the Matthew 25 application had resulted in a $2,500 award. Shortly after, the EFP was invited to apply for a grant from the Burns Family Foundation. Its application for $2,500 was rewarded with a very generous check for $10,000!

The money  from Catholic Charities and the Burns Family Foundation bought a 49-cubic-foot freezer and a 49-cubic-foot refrigerator. Volunteers were able to quickly fill the shiny new appliances around the middle of November. The pantry received its first major shipment of free meat from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in mid-December. The EFP gets deliveries from TEFAP every two months. Certified “safe food” handlers help ensure the quality of all distributed foodstuffs.

Pantry co-chairman MaryAnn Look said, “It’s been very exciting to make the transition from vouchers (redeemable at Yellowfront or Hannaford) to (distributing) actual foodstuffs. We discontinued the once-a-month vouchers right after Christmas and replaced them with a weekly offering of meat, eggs, milk and butter. We’ve had very positive feedback since the change. We receive meat from the Good Shepherd Food Bank (at 8 cents a pound), Hannaford (free) and Rising Tide (also free), so the hundreds of pounds of meat we have distributed so far has cost us less than $50! Straw’s Farm in Newcastle donates some of the milk and we purchase some. We are using the money previously spent on the vouchers to purchase the refrigerated items.”

The pantry is also part of a food recycling effort. “Hannaford donates all their 'aging out' produce, bakery and meat to local pantries. We get it on Mondays and Tuesdays. Rising Tide also donates some meat and non-perishables,” Look said. Many EFP visitors are in need of personal care products,Look said She hopes the community can provide more.

Good Shepherd Food Bank, based in Auburn, works with Hannaford and other food chains, as well as a growing number of restaurants and local farmers to purchase (or receive at no cost) their excess, and the Newcastle food pantry gets excess from several farms in the area.

“Whatever we have at the end of Tuesday, if we don't think it will last another week in our new refrigerator, is donated to another local pantry that is open on Wednesdays.  Anything that is not deemed edible is given to the 'pig man,” Look said.

In addition to providing nutritious food to some 3,500 families in 2015 (including 9631 individuals), the pantry offers services including diaper distributions, housing and food stamp counseling, and a “Job Club” which offers job interview skills coaching, resume preparation mentoring, and online job search help.

The pantry is open Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Room of the Second Congregational Church, UCC, in Newcastle. Drop-ins are always welcome. Six other area churches actively support the EFP: Damariscotta Baptist Church, Friends Meeting, Nobleboro Baptist Church, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, St. Patrick Catholic Church, and Water of Life Lutheran Church.