On Thursday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m., Good Shepherd Food Bank’s Food Mobile will be at St. Philip’s Help Yourself Shelf Food Pantry, 12 Hodge St. in Wiscasset, thanks to a grant from the EA Leach Charitable Trust to Good Shepherd.

This Food Mobile event will be in lieu of the Thanksgiving distribution, as the Help Yourself Shelf will not be open during Thanksgiving week.

Anyone in need of nutritional assistance is invited to attend the event held in the Lippiat Hall. Enter, however, through the office door on the opposite side of the church. People are encouraged to come early to register and find their place in line. Bringing boxes and bags to pack selections, as well as family or friends to help carry, is encouraged.

People wanting to help in some way during the holidays and beyond are encouraged to donate funds to keep the Shelf stocked. While most food is purchased through Good Shepherd, other essentials like cleaning supplies, diapers for all ages and other personal care products, pet foods, and such are generally purchased separately.

No amount is too large or too small, and as this is an all-volunteer outreach program of St. Philip’s, all donations go directly to purchasing supplies for distribution to those in need. Checks should be made out to St. Philip's Church with "Help Yourself Shelf" written on the memo line. The church, and therefore the Shelf, is a 501(c)(3) organization, making donations tax deductible.

If one prefers to give items, please leave them by the the Shelf door inside the Lippiat Hall at St. Philip’s. Donated items are appreciated as they offer a greater variety to choose from.
The next Shelf time will be Dec. 4. In the event of a food emergency between times, one may call St. Philip’s at 207-882-7184, leaving a message with a return phone number so that someone can be back in touch to organize a pick-up.