Harrison Food Bank operations manager Sweat prepares for winter shortages

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Harrison — On distribution day October 25, the Harrison Food Bank supplied 337 households with a week’s worth of groceries and delivered the same to another 141 households in western Maine.

At the Harrison Food Bank, boxes of food packed to feed 500 families a week. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

Operations Manager Sandy Swett said: “And the amount of food we are getting is decreasing. It has been.”

Surplus food pipelines from major grocery stores are starting to tighten, Swett said. Earlier this year, Shaw’s supermarket in Westbrook closed, and then in September, the company announced it would cease operations at its Scarborough store.

“Other stores are saying their relief food is way down,” Swett added. No Canned Vegetable Donation Declining I’ll be buying canned vegetables for my Thanksgiving meal.

“Our produce isn’t where we need it. “It’s scary.”

The storage racks and pallets in the perishable section of the Harrison Food Bank are running out of vegetables this fall. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

Sweat appreciates the continued support of the local community as Harrison Food Bank prepares for the holidays.

Last month, Bridgeton’s Ten Lakes Chiropractic Clinic sponsored a Thanksgiving meal fundraiser, donating $10 to each patient and collecting money and food donations from members of the public, she said. In one day, the practice raised $1,886 in cash to help supply food banks with non-perishable foods.

Swett had anticipated delivery of the Pie Tree Orchard this week with end-of-season supplies. The Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association donates the seafood caught by Maine’s fishermen to food banks through the Fishermen Feeding Maine program. Tyson Foods in Portland offers frozen meat by the pallet.

And for the second year in a row, North Yarmouth Rotarian Jim Schmidt donated locally raised beef, pork and lamb purchased at the Cumberland Fair’s 4-H Youth Auction in September. Did. Food insecurity in Maine.

“Jim did it again,” said Sweat. “He purchased one cow, five pigs and six lambs at auction for his $19,500. Then he paid another $4,200 to slaughter services, all of which he donated.”

Volunteers carry bread and rolls into food bins at the Harrison Food Bank on November 1. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

Every Tuesday, cars keep running through the parking lot. Food bank volunteers are preparing for even more demand as the colder weather sets in. Delivery requests are increasing and Swett does not currently have enough drivers to meet the demand.

She uses her own vehicle to make deliveries to local homes. That time is away from networking resources with companies, organizations, and agencies. She told the story of her recent delivery that took her to her neighborhood in Norway.

An elderly woman saw Swett delivering food to her neighbors and approached her to add her to the delivery route. While a woman has transportation, she is responsible for taking care of her husband. Driving to Harrison and leaving him alone would be a stressful burden. Sweat agreed to include her and the gesture brought tears to her lady’s eyes.

“I’m getting more calls every day. I already got a call this morning from the clinic to arrange a rural delivery,” Sweat said. “I keep getting them from casewarders and doctors. The church in Auburn called to see if we could start a supply to help 30 people.”

In addition to dealing with food shortages, volunteer drivers are dwindling as many who were able to spare time during the COVID shutdowns have returned to their daily lives, and the price of petrol is making it difficult for others to are less able to drive long distances.

“We can add at least two delivery volunteers,” she said. “I just got a minivan donated and I have someone to drive it, but it needs thousands of dollars in repairs first.”

Shortages aside, Swett is on the verge of organizing a Thanksgiving meal this year. In the past, sourcing 400 to 500 turkeys was an impossible task, but these days it’s become a tradition for corporate backers to provide them to Harrison Food Bank and its employees. Ten Lakes Chiropractic Clinic donations will fund Hannaford gift cards to fill boxes with fresh produce. Suppliers in the county provide potatoes as needed.

Swett is already looking ahead to a more efficient era, applying for grants and calling and networking statewide to find food and financial resources. Food shortages and a shortage of volunteers are expected to be a major challenge this winter, but Harrison Foods his bank will continue to feed more Maine people experiencing food insecurity.