As a church community, we strive to live out, in tangible ways, the commandment to love our neighbor. One of the ways we do this is by supporting efforts to address food insecurity in this community and beyond, through efforts like No Neighbor Left Behind, the Castine Area Relief Fund, and CROP Hunger Walk.
no neighbor left behind
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No Neighbor Left Behind is a meal program that was developed after a Community Compass Navigator uncovered the need for a meal delivery just before the weekend, when children don’t receive meals at school. Our church participates in preparing and donating simple, home-cooked meals for more than 100 families, packaging those meals, and delivering them to homes throughout the area. |
By helping to alleviate the effects of food insecurity, NNLB is one way that we live out our love of neighbor. Our church currently provides meals on the 4th Friday of each month. If you're interested in becoming involved in No Neighbor Left Behind, please call the church office (207-326-9486) or email us ([email protected]) for more information.
castine area relief fund (carf)
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“We all need help at times” was the message on our rack cards that launched the Castine Area Relief Fund (“CARF”) as it was becoming apparent the Covid 19 pandemic was impacting local families in a significant and ongoing way. The immediate need from CARF is weekly food distributions, but as the pandemic continued and the end of winter was in sight, we feared that rent abatements and utility payment deferrals will place yet another burden on area families. The overarching mission of CARF is to alleviate basic life insecurities in families in the Castine area- Castine, Penobscot, Orland, Blue Hill.
In mid-March 2020, as the negative economic effects of what is now known as COVID 19 were being felt by families in the Castine area, a group of individuals — including members of our church and the Town Manager —met on Zoom to discuss what might be done to assist our neighbors and |
friends. Since our volunteers delivered the first grocery boxes more than 2 years ago, we have delivered over 2,300 bags of groceries, equivalent to almost 35,000 individual meals.
Working with the local market, a system was developed whereby the grocer was told on Tuesday how many bags would be necessary on Friday to be delivered by volunteers. This regular purchase of food also had the secondary benefit of allowing Todd, the owner of T&C Market, to build back staff hours for several of his employees, who might otherwise have been recipients of these same groceries. Through our volunteers and our Community Navigator (a program funded by a local church; more at communitycompassdowneast.org), we keep contact with these families directly and through referring organizations.
The Town of Castine made an initial contribution of $2000, and a pair of local churches each gave $1500. With the benefit of only word-of-mouth publicity, this fund grew to over $65,000. Local residents, including many who call the area home in the summer, contributed significant financial support. Because of the significance of this food delivery ministry, we have been awarded grants of over $16,000 to continue this work.
Working with the local market, a system was developed whereby the grocer was told on Tuesday how many bags would be necessary on Friday to be delivered by volunteers. This regular purchase of food also had the secondary benefit of allowing Todd, the owner of T&C Market, to build back staff hours for several of his employees, who might otherwise have been recipients of these same groceries. Through our volunteers and our Community Navigator (a program funded by a local church; more at communitycompassdowneast.org), we keep contact with these families directly and through referring organizations.
The Town of Castine made an initial contribution of $2000, and a pair of local churches each gave $1500. With the benefit of only word-of-mouth publicity, this fund grew to over $65,000. Local residents, including many who call the area home in the summer, contributed significant financial support. Because of the significance of this food delivery ministry, we have been awarded grants of over $16,000 to continue this work.
CROP Hunger walk
In the fall of 2023, we will be launching a community CROP Walk in the Castine Area. CROP Hunger Walks are community-based fundraising walks that raise funds to support the global mission of Church World Service, a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. 25% of the funds raised by a community CROP walk remain in the local area to support efforts here at home to address food insecurity.
We are currently looking for volunteers to help organize this year's CROP Hunger Walk. Please email Pastor Andi or talk to Linda Murray if you'd like to get involved.
We are currently looking for volunteers to help organize this year's CROP Hunger Walk. Please email Pastor Andi or talk to Linda Murray if you'd like to get involved.
