NEW GLOUCESTER — Cumberland County 4-H members Caleb and Katie McGrath-Holmquist and Amber, Amanda and Austin Holmes are raising funds to purchase three market hogs and three market lambs from the Cumberland Fair 4-H Livestock Auction to donate to the Gray and New Gloucester food pantries.

The auction will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Cumberland Fairgrounds, 197 Blanchard Road, Cumberland.

The McGrath-Holmquists and the Holmes are long-time members of the Cumberland County 4-H Sheep Club and the 4-H Swiners Club, who raise market lambs and hogs to be sold annually at the Cumberland Fair 4-H Livestock Auction.

This year, in addition to raising their own animals and soliciting buyers for those animals, they are also participating in their self-designed community service project that will benefit both 4-H’ers and their local food pantries.

They would like to raise enough money so that the Gray and New Gloucester food pantries can purchase three market hogs and three market lambs at the 4-H auction. The youth are hoping to raise $3,600 from the community by Sept. 27 to purchase the 4-H-raised livestock.

In an effort to help raise the money, they are selling donated water, soda and lemonade from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Gray Blueberry Festival, Pennell Municipal Complex, 24 Main St., Gray.

The Gray Community Food Pantry serves 40 to 70 families with emergency and home deliveries. Approximately 15 percent of clients are elderly seniors living on a fixed income and 30 percent are children.

The New Gloucester Food Pantry provides food for an average of 22 families each distribution day. Over the course of a year, 60 to 70 families are served. Since meat is one of the more expensive items for clients to buy, having fresh pork and lamb available from local sources is a win-win for the food pantries, 4-H members and the local food system.

Donations can be sent to UMaine Extension Cumberland County, Attn: Sara Conant, 75 Clearwater Dr., Ste. 104, Falmouth, ME 04105 or GNG 4-H Food Pantry Project, PO Box 1012, Gray, ME 04039. Checks can be made payable to GNG 4-H Food Pantry Project.

FMI: 207-781-6099, sara.conant@maine.edu.

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