LEWISTON — SeniorsPlus, Western Maine’s designated agency on aging, recently delivered 540 pounds of food to the Good Shepherd Food Bank. The two nonprofits are community partners in the fight against senior hunger all year long, and so this food donation by employees of SeniorsPlus has special meaning.

Since 1972, SeniorsPlus has provided Meals On Wheels for Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties, delivering more than 100,000 meals to 600 individuals annually. To help keep food costs low, it gets food from the Good Shepherd Food Bank as it is available.

“By initiating this food drive, staff of SeniorsPlus are not only contributing to the fight against hunger on a personal level, but are also saying thank you to everyone at the Good Shepherd Food Bank,” said Betsy Sawyer-Manter, executive director of SeniorsPlus. “Without the support of the food we obtain from the Good Shepherd Food Bank, we would not be able to have fresh and seasonal food to use in our Meals On Wheels kitchen.”

More than 200,000 Mainers struggle against hunger. The Auburn-based Good Shepherd Food Bank, which supplies food for pantries and anti-hunger initiatives throughout the state, feeds more than 36,000 Mainers each week.

The overall program goal of SeniorsPlus, which is headquartered in Lewiston, is to assist older adults and adults with disabilities to remain safely at home for as long as possible. The provision of Meals On Wheels can make the difference between staying at home and going to a nursing home or other facility.

Each meal provides one third of the recommended daily allowance of nutrition, a safety check, and a friendly visit to vulnerable adults. The majority of these consumers are lower income, on fixed income, or MaineCare.


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