By Lindsay Tice,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Gov. John Baldacci honored the Good Shepherd Food-Bank Wednesday, giving it the 2006 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence.

The honor, given this year to five companies, was created to recognize outstanding service to the community and to employees.

Founded in 1981, Good Shepherd Food-Bank collects and supplies food to the neediest people in Maine. With warehouses in Auburn and Brewer, Good Shepherd provides about 691,000 pounds of food to approximately 70,000 people every month. It hopes to double that in three to five years.

Food is distributed through more than 500 food pantries, shelters and nonprofit agencies.

United Kingfield Bank, a Good Shepherd supporter, secretly nominated the food bank for the governor’s award.

“At first we didn’t know why they were asking for so much information about us,” said Good Shepherd spokeswoman JoAn Chartier.

Good Shepherd officials learned in February that they’d won the award.

“We were just all excited,” Chartier said. “But we really don’t feel deserving when really it’s our thousand volunteers who come in every day.”

Baldacci honored the five winners during a luncheon at Colby College in Waterville Wednesday. The other winners are: G&E Roofing Co. in Augusta, Lincolnville Telephone Co., Mercy Hospital in Portland and Couleur Collection, a women’s clothing store in Falmouth.

This is the Good Shepherd Food-Bank’s first award, Chartier said.

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