SAMARITAN, INC.

Food-Raising Event

By offering a discount on men’s rented, formal attire with a donation of a non-perishable item, Henry’s Bridal is able to collect a substantial amount of food to contribute to local food pantries. Samaritan, Inc. is blessed to be a recipient of this annual food-raising event.

Around prom time, please stop by Henry’s Bridal and Boutique to check out their wide variety of prom apparel and see the storefront display of donated food items that help to feed families in our local communities.

Tons of Pasta

Let’s play a little game! How many different types of pasta can you name in three minutes? I got 15; how about you?

Angel hair, Agnolotti, Bow tie, Bucatini, Campanelle, Cannelloni, Cavatappi, Ditalini, Egg Noodles, Farfalle, Fettuccine, Fusilli, Gemelli, Gnocchi, Lasagna, Linguine, Macaroni, Manicotti, Orecchiett, Orzo, Pappardelle, Penne, Radiatore, Ravioli, Rigatoni, Rotelle, Rotii, Shells, Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Tortellini, Vermicelli, and Ziti.

Pasta is a very versatile pantry staple which makes it the perfect food item to stock the shelves of local food pantries, such as Samaritan, Inc. Each spring, Z107.5 and its sister stations send their DJs to Hannaford Supermarkets in eastern Maine with the goal of collecting a Ton of Pasta. According to Z107.3, last year the generous shoppers at Hannaford locations across Eastern Maine collected nearly four tons of pasta, and didn’t stop there – many shoppers also purchased sauces to turn the pasta into a tasty family meal.

Stamp Out Hunger

For the past 15 years, on the second Saturday of May the Heart of Maine United Way has teamed up with the United States Postal Service to co-manage the Stamp out Hunger food drive. Launched in 1991, this is the largest one-day food collection program in the nation. Although this is a national event, all the food items collected in the Bangor area are handed out to local community food recipients.

The National Association of Letter Carriers, with help from rural letter carriers, postal employees, and volunteers, collect non-perishable food items that have been left beside the mailbox or at the local post office.

United Way coordinates community volunteer opportunities. Locally, all volunteers gather at the USPS Eastern Maine Processing Distribution Center in Hampden where they sort the donated items and get them ready for distribution to local area food banks, such as Samaritan, Inc.

United Way estimates that approximately 26000 pounds of donated food was collected in the greater Bangor area last year. Thanks to the generosity of the local community, food pantries, like Samaritan, Inc. were blessed with a helping hand to feed its friends and neighbors in the greater Bangor area.