PRFC Fresh Access Lockers Will Put Healthy Food Within Reach After Hours

New refrigerated and ambient food lockers will help families overcome transportation barriers and support emergency food access on weekends and holidays.

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — A broken-down car or a ride that arrives after closing shouldn’t mean a family has to go without fresh, nourishing food. Thanks to funding secured by Piscataquis Regional Food Center (PRFC), new food lockers will soon give Food Center Shoppers a convenient way to pick up groceries outside regular operating hours.

Expected to be installed before the end of 2026, the PRFC Fresh Access Lockers will include six refrigerated and nine ambient-temperature compartments. Shoppers will receive a tailored grocery package and a code to access their assigned lockers after hours.

For many families served by PRFC, transportation determines when, and sometimes whether, they can get food. A shopper may have to borrow a vehicle, wait for a friend to finish work, or arrange a ride around someone else’s schedule. Staff regularly hear calls like, “My car broke down, and I won’t have a ride until after 6:00 p.m.”

Until now, PRFC has responded by leaving generic emergency food boxes in its lobby for after-hours pickup. Those boxes offered much-needed help, but they could not include frozen or refrigerated foods. The new lockers will allow PRFC to offer a broader selection of groceries tailored to each household, including fresh and refrigerated items.

“We hear from people who are doing everything they can to get here, but the only ride they can find comes after we close,” said Kelly Sirimoglu, PRFC Executive Director. “These lockers will give us a way to say, ‘We can make that work.’ Families will have access to groceries selected for their needs, at a time when they can actually get here.”

The lockers will also strengthen PRFC’s ability to respond when a crisis happens outside normal hours. By coordinating with the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office and Piscataquis Emergency Management, PRFC will be able to arrange access to food for neighbors facing emergencies over weekends and holidays.

Hunger does not follow a business schedule. Whether a household faces an unexpected emergency or simply cannot secure a ride during the day, the Fresh Access Lockers will give PRFC another practical way to help.

“This is about making our services fit the realities of life in rural Maine,” Sirimoglu said. “A transportation problem shouldn’t become a food crisis. These lockers will help us close that gap and make sure more of our neighbors can get the food they need.”

PRFC gratefully acknowledges Eric Klose Fund for the funding that makes the Fresh Access Lockers possible.

Details about how to use the lockers will be shared as installation approaches.