Last year, Maine credit unions came together to encourage people to donate $5 (or more) to help feed a hungry Mainer in their community during the holidays. In addition to raising funds for the Campaign for Ending Hunger, the Holiday Meals for Mainers initiative generated critical awareness about hunger in our communities and the role we all play to care for our neighbors in need.

To make the 2023 holiday season brighter for those struggling to put meals on their tables, we are once again coordinating this timely effort. Will you help us by making a donation to our Campaign for Ending Hunger? You can pay it forward by providing the gift of a holiday meal. Make a donation on behalf of yourself or your family, or donate in honor of someone else.

Consider these statistics:

  • Nearly 145,000 Mainers face hunger. 
  • Maine ranks 14th in the nation for very low food security rates, a more severe range of food insecurity that involves reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns. More than 25,000 Maine households fall into this concerning category. 
  • Of the more than 250,000 children in Maine, an estimated 14.6 percent, or nearly 40,000 kids, are at risk of food insecurity. This means 1 in 7 kids do not have regular access to enough healthy food.
  • Before the pandemic, households of color had a food insecurity rate that was twice as high as White households, and the food insecurity rate for Black households was three times as high when compared to White households. 

Our Holiday Meals for Mainers initiative ran through December 26, but you can contribute to our Campaign all year long. We hope you will join Maine credit unions and make a tax-deductible donation today. You do not need to be a member of a local credit union to support this worthy endeavor.

A simple act of kindness is the best present you can give this holiday season!