September signals the end of the growing season, the coming of fall, and holidays around the corner. September is also Hunger Awareness Month! It’s a perfect time to let you know how Piscataquis Regional Food Center fights hunger all year round – and what you can do to help.
Each month, PRFC receives and redistributes tens of thousands of pounds of food from Good Shepherd Food Bank to local food pantries in Piscataquis, plus Dexter, Corinna, and Newport. Chances are one of those pantries is in or near your community. You might even know someone who needs them: According to Feeding America, 18% of Piscataquis County residents – including 1 in 3 kids - are food insecure. Our own data show that 55% of the people visiting the pantries we supply are over 60 or under 18.
In case you’re wondering, the difference between PRFC and the pantries we serve is the nature of our services, the scope of our reach, and the volume of food we move. Food pantries provide food directly to individuals, while PRFC ensures the pantries are well stocked. PRFC moves between 650,000 -- 800,000 pounds of food to 14 pantries run by towns, schools, churches, and civic organizations in Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties. PRFC is also uniquely able to respond to large-scale emergencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PRFC directly distributed an additional 280,000 pounds of food over 8 months to people from over 40 area towns.
Hunger reaches far and wide and never takes a break. Neither do we. You can help us get the job done. Tell your friends and family about Hunger Awareness Month and make a donation today! We at PRFC and your community thank you.