During the holidays, we celebrated our 11th year providing comfort items for veterans and food for several central Maine and Western Foothills community food cupboards. This growing event has achieved much public attention over the years and has created partnerships with the four unions (USW Local 4-9, IAM 2740 , IBEW 1768 and SPFPA 550), Sappi Fine Paper and the Village Market in Fairfield.

While every year we are faced with the ever-changing weather, this year we knew that loading 11 trucks and trailers with cardboard boxes bound for 11 towns and 160 complete Christmas dinners in the pouring rain could lead to disaster. We started looking for a venue to unload inside, and because of the huge amount of groceries it was a challenge to find a place in short notice. As is usual here in Maine, there are angels among us.

Millenium Power Services offered up their workshop and staffing to assist us in unloading literally tons of box lots of food and reloading them into each truck and trailer. United Rentals provided a lull to unload off the semi-tractor trailer that brought the food up from southern New England. Cianbro Corp. provided a truck to assist with hauling, and for the eighth year, Dave Welch of the Village Market in Fairfield assisted us with the purchase of the food as well as donating their time and a large donation of food from his store.

While we were finishing up loading, we found that we had no room to load food bound for a food cupboard. One phone call later and IEC, an electrical contractor from Strong, committed to send a trailer and a driver to pick up and deliver the remaining load. Special thanks to the angels among us.

 

Patrick Carleton

vice president, Maine AFL-CIO

Chesterville

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