Bethel Family Health Center will hold a food drive in celebration of National Community Health Center Week starting on Monday, Aug. 10.

The health center will accept cash and nonperishable food donations from members of the community from Monday, Aug. 10 through Friday, Aug. 21. All food donations will be brought to the Bethel Food Pantry.

The local food pantry has a great need for high protein items such as peanut butter, canned chicken, beans or tuna. Cash donations are also welcome because of the great return on every dollar the pantry receives from Good Shepherd Food Bank. Donations are to be dropped off in the health center’s waiting room.

Bethel Family Health Center is located at 32 Railroad Street in Bethel. For more information, call (207) 824-2193 or visit www.BethelCHC.org.

Each year the second week in August is dedicated to celebrating the services and contributions of community health centers. This year’s theme is America’s Health Centers: Celebrating Our Legacy, Shaping Our Future. National Health Center Week showcases the importance of these facilities and the impact they have on their communities, providing access to affordable, high quality, cost effective health care to medically vulnerable and underserved people throughout the United States.

Bethel Family Health Center is part of HealthReach Community Health Centers, a group of eleven Federally Qualified Health Centers in Central and Western Maine. Dedicated providers deliver high quality medical and behavioral health care to citizens in over 80 rural communities. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare and major insurances. In addition, an Affordable Care Program is available to uninsured and underinsured residents as well as assistance with applications for programs that help with the cost of health care and medications including the Health Insurance Marketplace. A private, non-profit celebrating a 40-year history, HealthReach is funded by patient fees, grants and individual donations.