The 15th Annual Hancock County Food Drive will kick off with a county-wide fundraising and food collection event on Saturday, April 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Keep an eye out for food drive volunteers, dressed in fruit and vegetable costumes, stationed outside grocery stores and businesses across the county to raise funds, collect food donations, and rally excitement for the food drive, which runs April 4-11.
The Hancock County Food Drive is an annual collaborative campaign organized by the Hancock County Food Security Network that raises funds and collects food donations for local food pantries, free meal sites, and school backpack programs. This year, with generous support from Heart of Maine United Way and Maine Community Foundation, partner organizations are collaborating to raise $40,000, which will provide 120,000 meals for Hancock County residents. Community members can support the food drive through online donations at www.hcfooddrive.org and by donating food at one of the sites listed online.
In addition to the kick-off event on April 4, there will be a Spring Tea Party & Storytime at the Blue Hill Public Library at 10:30 a.m. with healthy snacks and tea, food-themed stories and an opportunity to donate non-perishable food items for the Food Drive. On April 11, food drive volunteers will be at select grocery stores and businesses for a final Close the Gap event, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to ensure they reach their $40,000 fundraising goal.
For more information about these events and how to contribute to the Annual Hancock County Food Drive, visit www.hcfooddrive.org, or contact Eleanor Jones, Healthy Acadia’s food programs manager in Hancock County, at [email protected].
The Hancock County Food Security Network engages a broad group of stakeholders in addressing food insecurity in Hancock County. Its purpose is to share resources, creatively solve problems and organize advocacy efforts among the food pantries and community meal sites across the region. The Network was formed in 2004 and co-convened by Healthy Acadia and University of Maine Cooperative Extension for many years. Today, Healthy Acadia continues to convene and support the Network by organizing quarterly meetings, leading the Hancock County Food Drive and providing resources to local food security organizations and the communities they serve.
Healthy Acadia, celebrating 25 years, is a 501(c)(3) community health organization dedicated to building vibrant communities and making it easier for everyone to lead healthy lives. Primarily serving Maine’s Washington and Hancock counties, the organization provides community health support and leadership across Maine, through partnerships, programs and advocacy. Learn more at https://healthyacadia.org.
