15th annual Hancock County Food Drive begins with grocery store station donations

ELLSWORTH, Maine (WABI) - A Downeast tradition of keeping neighbors fed is back.

Saturday marked the first day of the 15th annual Hancock County Food Drive, benefitting 16 organizations this year.

To drum up support and collect donations, community groups set up stations outside of local grocery stores.

We caught up with the Ellsworth Police Department Saturday morning, who was outside the Ellsworth Hannaford with volunteers from H.O.M.E., an Orland nonprofit that operates a food pantry.

According to the Hancock County Food Security Network, area food pantries like H.O.M.E. collectively serve more than 10,000 people each month.

To help meet this need, organizers say opportunities like Saturday help raise awareness and connect with community members.

“I think it helps to spread the word. A lot of people might not know, what the Emmaus Center and what the co-op does,” explains Levi Hall, a volunteer at the H.O.M.E. Co-Op. “And I think it’s really important because it lets people know, if they’re looking for a place to donate or volunteer, this is a good local place. It helps the local community. And I think that that’s really very important.“

The Hancock County Food Drive runs until April 11th.

To find out more and how to get involved, visit their website.