On Tuesday, Aug. 4, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, which has raised $5.9 million since 1990 including a record-setting $552,257 in 2014, distributed over $20,000 of those funds to 33 hunger organizations throughout the state including two in Lincoln County, Wiscasset Food Pantry in Wiscasset and Westport Island Helping Hands in Westport Island). Food pantries in every Maine county received a contribution, along with Good Shepherd Food Bank, which serves more than 90 percent of the hunger organizations in the state.

This year marked the 11th annual Share the Bread event, one of the most-widespread, one-day contributions toward ending hunger in Maine. Share the Bread aims to bring awareness to the issue of hunger in Maine, and the acute need for food for Maine’s 65,000 school children during summer vacation. The Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger started this initiative to recognize the efforts of food pantries across the state and to provide significant financial assistance to food pantries in all 16 Maine counties during a time of year that hunger organizations struggle with contributions and shortages.

Representatives from two food pantries in each of Maine’s eight northernmost counties received two types of bread — the bread you can have with butter and the bread that can buy you groceries. Each food pantry received a $600 check from the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger. The bread-giving started in the morning with a ceremony at Maine Credit Union League in Westbrook for the eight southernmost Maine counties. Additionally, the Good Shepherd Food Bank received a $1,000 donation for its efforts to end hunger across the state.