PORTLAND — Food pantries, soup kitchens, and other assistance programs are still operating safely under CDC guidelines at parishes throughout Maine. The below list will be continually updated with additional options at portlanddiocese.org/FoodAssistance, according to a news release from Dave Guthro, communications director, Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine.
Christ the Divine Mercy, Millinocket
St. Martin of Tours Food Pantry, 19 Colby St., is open from 9 to 11 a.m. each Wednesday. Those in need can fill out a food list and the food is brought outside the church with no personal contact. For more information, call 746-3333 or email stmartinspantry@gmail.com.
Christ the King Parish, Skowhegan
The St. Peter Food Pantry in Bingham, part of Christ the King Parish, will continue to meet the needs of its clients, but with a change in the way the food is distributed. Items will now be packaged and left at the door of the pantry for pickup. The pantry, which serves residents from the communities of Bingham, Caratunk, Concord, Moscow, Moxie and Pleasant Ridge, is open the first and third Wednesdays of the month.The adjacent thrift store is temporarily closed. For more information about the food pantry, call 696-4483.
Holy Spirit Parish, Wells/Kennebunk
St. Mary’s Ecumenical Food Pantry at St. Mary Church, 236 Eldridge Road, Wells, is operating from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursdays. It is a drive-thru format as all clients remain in their car and one volunteer hands them an order sheet that they fill out. Another volunteer duplicates the order sheet by filling it in so it does not change hands. The order is filled and the bags are placed in car trunks. For more information, call 646-4605.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Auburn
The parish’s Parish Social Ministry program is offering assistance to any parish individuals or families, particularly the elderly, homebound, or those who might be food insecure. The program also will provide assistance in offering guidance to those who may need fuel and rent assistance. For more information, contact Deacon Denis Mailhot at 782-8096, ext. 1203, or denis.mailhot@portlanddiocese.org.
Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish, Madawaska; Our Lady of the Valley Parish, St. Agatha; St. Peter Chanel Parish, Van Buren
All food pantries of churches in Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish, Our Lady of the Valley Parish, and St. Peter Chanel Parish remain open. Each pantry has made some changes in how food is handled and distributed for both the safety of the client and the volunteer staff assisting. For more information about updated pick up times and schedules, call 728-7531.
Parish of the Ascension of the Lord, Kittery
St. Raphael Church, l6 Whipple Road in Kittery, will provide takeout dinners at 5 p.m. Thursdays at the church hall. For more information, call 439-0442.
Parish of the Precious Blood, Caribou
• The Ashland Food Pantry, 31A Station St., is open from 5 to 7 p.m. on the second Tuesdays and from 2 to 4 p.m. the third Thursdays of the month with assembled boxes of food to speed up drive-through distribution and minimize contact.
• The Caribou Ecumenical Food Pantry, 31 Herschel St., Unit 1, is also in a drive-through distribution format and is open from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Make arrangements prior to arrival by calling 493-4860.
• The Caribou Bread of Life Soup Kitchen, 62 Collins St., is open from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
• The Grace Interfaith Food Table, 11 Industrial St., in Presque Isle, is open from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays with drive-through distributions.
• St. Charles Food Pantry, 912 Main St., in Saint Francis, is open on from noon to 2 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. It is also available to provide food in emergencies. Pre-boxed supplies will be brought to people’s vehicles. To make arrangements, call 834-5656.
• St. Louis Ecumenical Food Pantry, 100 Main St., in Limestone, is open from 3 to 6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays. Assembled boxes will be distributed in a drive-through format.
• St. Mary’s Food Pantry, 3443 Main St., in Eagle Lake, will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. Senior boxes right off the trailer, pre-boxed pantry products in parking lot, and help to those who need it due to unemployment.
For more information about delivery to the homebound at any site, call 768-3671.
Parish of the Resurrection of the Lord, Old Town
The Parish of the Resurrection of the Lord will continue offering its food pantry on 33 Carroll S., in Old Town, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on the last Monday of the month. The parish will also continue offering its community supper as a takeout-only option from 6 to 7 p.m. on the third Friday of the month. The community supper is offered at the back of Holy Family Church in the Brunswick Street parking lot in Old Town. For more information, call 827-4000.
Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes, Portland/Peaks Island
The St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, 307 Congress St., is offering bagged lunches and water to community members from 11 a.m. to noon on Mondays through Fridays. The Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Food Pantry, 80 Sherman St., is distributing “grab and go” bags from 9 to 11:30 a.m. each Tuesday. The bags will still provide items from all food groups. For more information, call 773-7746.
St. Brendan the Navigator Parish, Camden
St. Bernard Soup Kitchen, 150 Broadway, in Rockland, remains open Mondays through Fridays. Anyone can come and get a takeout lunch at noon. During the outbreak, around 60 people have been coming for the lunches each day. For more information, call 592-5204.
St. John Vianney Parish, Fort Kent
The parish currently has two food pantries that remain open.
• St. Charles Borromeo Food Pantry in Saint Francis and St. Mary Food Pantry in Eagle Lake. St.
• Charles Borromeo, 912 Main St., is open on the first Thursday of each month, while St. Mary, 3443 Aroostook Road, is open on the first Wednesday of each month.
Both pantries also offer emergency food anytime during the month. To receive immediate assistance, call the parish office at 834-5656. In addition, the parish has received a $1,000 COVID-19 seed grant from Grass Roots Fund to assist more residents. When individuals and families indicate they need food, a box is prepared for them to pick up at the garage door.
St. Joseph Parish, Bridgton
The St. Joseph Food Pantry, 225 South High St., in Bridgton, is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays. For more information, call 647-2334.
St. Joseph Parish, Farmington
Takeout meals will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays at the St. Joseph Parish hall on the corner of Quebec and Middle streets. For more information, call 778-2778.
St. Mary of the Visitation Parish, Houlton
The St. Mary’s Food Pantry, located on 110 Military Street in Houlton, will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or by appointment. The pantry has instituted a drive-through distribution. To make arrangements, call 532-9122.
St. Matthew Parish, Limerick
St. Matthew Food Pantry of St. Matthew Parish, 19 Dora Lane, in Limerick, is still operating from 6 to 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month and from 10 a.m. to noon every Tuesday. Clients are asked to remain in their vehicles. Volunteers will approach, get the required information, and deliver directly to the vehicles. For more information, call 793-2244.
St. Michael Parish, Augusta
The St. Denis/Whitefield Food Pantry, 298 Grand Army Road, in Whitefield, is open from 1 to 3 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. In addition, the food pantry at St. Francis Xavier, on 130 U.S. Route 133 in Winthrop, is serving takeout meals from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. For more information, call 623-8823.
St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Bangor
St. Vincent de Paul Ministry is still in operation to address emergency assistance needs. Four times a year, a second collection is held to gather funds to assist those in the greater community with their need. Volunteers in the ministry handle the requests received by the parish office, including requests for fuel assistance. For more information, call217-6740.
St. Rose of Lima Parish, Jay
Takeout meals will be available from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m Fridays at the St. Rose Parish hall, 1 Church St. For more information, call 897-2173.
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