The food pantry Alna started at its new town office last year has gone from an upstairs closet and upright refrigerator-freezer First Selectman Melissa Spinney and husband Jeff donated, to now taking up a full room downstairs with a 20 cubic foot freezer New Harbor food pantry donated, the Spinneys’ refrigerator-freezer, a small freezer Tom Albee donated, a large cupboard and shelves for dry goods, Melissa Spinney said. 

“It’s been incredible,” she said. Help has included Lincoln County Courthouse employees’ donations of gift certificates; and the pantry is getting a lot of use, helping feed 40 to 50 people, she said. She added, finding out there was that much of a need in town was eye-opening.

Spinney’s frequent email updates keep residents apprised of incoming goods. “I will be picking up lots of assorted frozen meat, frozen hams, apples, oranges and produce today from Midcoast Hunger Prevention this morning,” she wrote in one on Monday, Jan. 13. “I will be at the office from 11:30 until 12:30 if anyone wants to help unload or needs anything. As always, distribution is confidential.”

Spinney said the town was looking at Whitefield Food Pantry sponsoring Alna’s, for Alna’s to become a Good Shepherd Food Bank agency. But she learned Jan. 8, Good Shepherd’s bylaws would require Whitefield’s to hold the accounts and have liability for Alna’s food bank. That is more than Alna can ask of Whitefield’s pantry, so the search for a sponsor continues, she said.

For more information, or to request items or donate, contact the town office, 586-5313.