Staff Writer

Jodi Bissonnette has two words to describe the situation facing York County Food Rescue: dire straits.

The Sanford-based program that provides food to 47 food pantries and soup kitchens across the county has little food in the warehouse and no money to buy more.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been as worried about getting food in the past 13 years as I am now,” said Bissonnette, director of the program. “It’s always tough this time of year. Everyone tends to think about giving at the holidays, but this is when we need it the most.”

Bissonnette said a combination of factors have led to the situation, including a reduction in the number of donations from grocery stores and a growing number of hungry Mainers. Stores are more careful about only stocking what they need and now sell surplus to dollar and discount stores instead of donating to the food rescue program, she said.

Federal stimulus money that funded the distribution of USDA commodities such as canned vegetables and meat has run out. Bissonnette said a local company, which in years past donated 35 percent of the program’s food, now gives only to Feeding America programs, a network of more than 200 food banks that serve all 50 states. That company, which Bissonnette declined to identify, provided at least a million pounds of food each year to the food rescue program. The program is not currently affiliated with Feeding America.

York County Food Rescue distributed more than 2.2 million pounds of food last year and the need has increased, Bissonnette said. She already spent $20,000 this year to buy nutritional food to balance donations of candy, soda and bottled water.

Bissonnette said one-third of pantries that receive food from the program depend on the food rescue’s delivery to stock itsshelves. For those pantries, a delivery accounts for 95 percent of their stock, she said.

“If I don’t give them food, they close,” she said. “It’s never been this bad. I lay awake at night thinking of new ways and new people to ask for donations.”

At a time when food donations are down, the need has increased tremendously, Bissonnette said. The food program provided food to 3,000 more families at food pantries in June than it did in January. Bissonnette frequently receives phone calls from pantries with bare shelves and does her best to find something to hold them over until their next monthly order. When the programs pick up their August order, the warehouse will be empty except for pallets of water and peanut butter cups.

“If we don’t get some food in here, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Bissonnette said.

The struggling economy and high unemployment rates have led to more families asking for assistance for the first time, Bissonnette said. People who previously donated at food drives now are struggling to feed their own families, though people in need are often the first to give, she said.

“It’s the everyday Joe, it’s no longer just people who aren’t working,” she said. “People will say they never imagined they would have to go (to a food pantry). It’s really humbling to see people at the pantry you never thought would have to go.”

Bob Nichols has seen new faces at the Saco Food Pantry each week, including families  asking for help for the first time. In June, the pantry gave food to 708 people, the highest number in its history. The pantry served 638 people in April and 595 people in June.

“Every week we can count at least one new family coming in. Last week we had three new families in one day, Nichols said. “It’s never been this bad.”

The pantry provides each person 12 meals per month, or enough to cook three meals a day for four days. Nichols said donations are low in the summer, when school food drives are not held and people are busy with vacations.

Nichols and other pantry volunteers set aside 21 banana boxes of food from a food drive earlier this year. The food from those boxes is now being used to stock the shelves because less food is arriving from the food rescue program and Good Shepherd Food Bank. The pantry’s biggest need is cereal, which currently is not available from Good Shepherd, Nichols said.

Nichols said he is confident area residents will step in and help the pantry fill the shelves because the community values taking care of its own.

“When the call goes out, people respond,” he said.

Even as the pantry struggles to fill its shelves, community groups are stepping up to help the pantry expand and make more room for Open Hands Open Heart, a clothing distribution program founded by Elaine Fournier. The Saco Bay and Biddeford-Saco Rotary clubs last week started a project that will expand the pantry building for the clothing program and add a walk-in freezer and generator for more food storage.

Leo Menard, a member of the Saco Bay Rotary, said the pantry project stems from a practical joke. A friend signed him up to receive free baby products, which he decided to drop off at the pantry. While there, he stepped into the Open Hands Open Heart trailer and saw how full the small space was.

“As soon as we opened I knew it was too small,” Fournier said.

Last July, Fournier looked for board members to help get her idea up and running. As a school bus driver, she often sees children go to school with clothes and shoes that don’t fit or without proper clothing. She decided to collect and hand out gently used clothing to families so children wouldn’t have to go without.

Though she was able to move the program into a trailer next to the pantry in October, Fournier still stores bins of clothing in her garage and spare bedroom and is well on her way to filling a neighbor’s garage. The trailer is crammed full of clothing racks, leaving little room for volunteers to sort and hang new donations.

Since last October, Open Hands Open Heart has given 5,858 items to 399 children from 342 families. For each season, a child receives at least four pairs of pants, four tops, two pairs of pajamas, two sweaters or sweatshirts, slippers, shoes, socks and underwear. Coats, ski pants, hats and mittens are handed out during winter along with sheets and blankets. Each family also is given a game, books and toys.

“I couldn’t have stopped this if I wanted to. It took on a life of its own,” Fournier said. “People come in and cry because they never expected to be in this situation. To me it’s a privilege to do this. It’s a great honor and it’s very humbling.”

As happy as she is to have helped so many people, Fournier said there is still more she and her volunteers can do. They currently are collecting school supplies and hope to start tutoring, a story time and other similar programs once they move into the new addition. She said she is overwhelmed by the support of the community.

“It’s a statement that people want to help. You just have to let them know what we need because they want to help,” Fournier said. “It’s going to do nothing but benefit the community.”

Menard said construction of the addition is under way, but money still must be raised to finish the project. Since spring, the Rotary clubs have lined up $116,000 in cash and in-kind donations, including services donated by area construction, plumbing and electrical companies. The city of Saco waived a $1,200 impact fee and provided $4,400 in materials, he said.

Menard said other donations include $25,000 from Lowe’s; $10,000 from Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution; $10,000 from the Rotary clubs; and $10,000 from an anonymous Rotarian.

“It’s just been one thing after another,” Menard said. “It’s been a stone soup type of project. Everyone’s thrown a little into the pot.”

Menard said the total project cost likely will be around $196,000, leaving about $80,000 left to raise. Some aspects of the project such as paving the parking lot may have to wait until additional money is raised or someone donates the service, he said.

“I think we’ll make our goal with no problem. Everyone understands food and clothing are basic needs,” Menard said. “I’m thrilled with the community response and I hope it continues. I haven’t had a ‘no’ yet.”