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LOCAL BANK HELPS LOCAL BANKS
With Spring fast approaching, Mark L. Johnston, President and CEO of Kennebec Savings Bank (KSB), announced that the bank has made a $10,000 donation to Good Shepherd Food Bank in support of 32 food pantries in Kennebec County this week.
A recent survey conducted by Good Shepherd and Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, reported that in Maine, more than 47 percent of client households are experiencing very low food security—or hunger. The survey results became the impetus for the Bank’s decision to help so early in the year. “We usually start planning our Good Shepherd gift in the Fall,” said Johnston. “The recent findings of the survey certainly motivated us to make this donation now, when it is most needed,” he said.
According to the survey, an estimated 36,800 people in the state receive emergency food assistance each week from a food pantry, soup kitchen, or other agency served by Good Shepherd Food-Bank. Previously the Food-Bank estimated that it served 18,000 people each week.
Good Shepherd Executive Director, Rick Small, called the gift a small miracle. “January through April tend to be the slowest months for donations to food banks,” he said. “To have this major contribution so unexpectedly, well, it’s a blessing.” Small says that the needs continue to grow and obtaining sufficient food donations is becoming an increasing challenge.
According to Good Shepherd’s website, the organization can “stretch each dollar donated to more than $12.50 of food for a family!” That turns $10,000 into the equivalent of $125,000.
Letters were mailed to all Good Shepherd member food pantries in Kennebec County this week. Credits to each food pantry will be based on numbers served and will range from $100-$1,500.
Food pantries to benefit from the gift include:
Augusta Angel Food Network
The Apostolic Food Pantry
Augusta Food Pantry – Salvation Army
Augusta Food Bank
Bread of Life Ministries
Belgrade - Rome Special Needs
River Rock Christian Fellowship Food Pantry
Grace Baptist Church Food Pantry
China Community Food Pantry
Clinton Community Food Bank
Loving Caring Hands Food Pantry
Fayette Baptist Church
Chrysalis Place/Gardiner Food Pantry
Hallowell Food Bank Inc
Litchfield Community Food Bank
Monmouth United Church Soup Kitchen
Monmouth United Church Food Pantry
First Baptist Church Food Pantry
North Monmouth Food Pantry
Oakland United Methodist Church Food Bank
Lord's Cupboard Food Pantry
South Gardiner Baptist Church Food Pantry
Vassalboro Food Station Food Pantry
Greater Waterville Area Food Pantry
Windsor Food Bank
St. John's Food Pantry - Corpus Christie Parish
Hot Meal Kitchen Inc
Winthrop Food Pantry
Community Reinvestment Officer, George Diplock, feels strongly that this move is important. Diplock, a longtime board member of the Augusta Food Bank, understands firsthand what food pantries in central Maine area dealing with. “We hope that this gesture eases the burden for these food pantries and the people who access them, and we also hope that it brings about more support and awareness regarding this crisis in our own communities,” he said.
Because it has no stockholders, the mutual savings bank is able to budget approximately $500,000 yearly in donations it calls “Community Dividends” which it reinvests through hundreds of community organizations and programs. According to Laura Hudson, Vice President and Marketing Officer, who manages the Community Dividends Program, “Commitments and requests already have expended 80% of the Bank’s donations and we are only in the first quarter,” she said. “Given the nature of the issue of hunger in our area and economic conditions that have compounded the issue, we needed to act quickly.” The Bank has given a major contribution to local food pantries for the past five years, historically in the Fall. “We are passionate about making sure that our communities have sufficient resources to serve those in need.”
About Kennebec Savings Bank
Kennebec Savings Bank is a $721 million state-chartered mutual savings bank with a team of 93 employees and branches located in Augusta, Waterville, Winthrop and Gardiner. Kennebec Savings Bank is proud to be Kennebec County’s community bank since 1870 and the bank where “our people make the difference.”
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