Maine Credit Unions have launched a $100,000 Ending Hunger Challenge to help meet the needs of hunger organizations around the state, including Good Shepherd Food Bank, food pantries, and meal sites. The Maine Credit Unions Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised over $9.4 million since 1990 — $832,332 in 2019 alone — but with over 140,000 Mainers filing jobless claims since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, our communities need our help now more than ever before. Families that were food secure only a few months ago now are struggling to put food on the table. And children who relied on school meal programs for breakfast and lunch now are relying on hunger organizations for their next meal.
At the same time, costs for food banks are skyrocketing. Organizations like Good Shepard Food Bank are seeing far fewer food donations and therefore are having to purchase food they usually would have received for no or very low cost. Good Shepherd Food Bank expects its costs associated with the coronavirus crisis to be $6.3 million over its normal operating costs. And that’s just for the period between March and August.
$100,000 Challenge
The Ending Hunger $100,000 Challenge will run from June 4 to July 4. To kick off this Challenge, the Maine Credit Union League and Synergent have pledged $100,000 to the Maine Credit Unions Campaign for Ending Hunger, 100% of which will to to the Good Shepherd Food Bank.
This is a matching challenge campaign, with the goal of raising an additional $100,000 — and hopefully more — before the Challenge ends on July 4.
We need your help
Please consider making a donation to the Ending Hunger Challenge today. But because this is a Challenge, please challenge your friends, family, and co-workers to make donations as well. You don’t need to be a member of a credit union to contribute, but donations made on behalf of a named credit union will be distributed back to that credit union’s community.
Join the Campaign for Ending Hunger. Together, we can end hunger in Maine.
