HARRISON — Rotarians and friends of Rotary recently assembled 330 boxes for the Harrison Food Bank to use to pack food for the pantry’s Tuesday food distribution. Peter Kaurup from Oxford Hills Rotary Club and Carol Rothenberg and Carol Madsen from Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club were joined by Denise Eldridge and Mary Jane Chanese of Bridgton and Anne Holte of Waterford.  For both Peter and Anne, this was their first time volunteering on this box project and both had seen the notice to help on the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club’s Facebook Page.

Rotary has been helping the Harrison Food Bank since early days of the pandemic, delivering food to peoples’ homes, preparing health & wellness packets for distribution to their clients, and picking up and assembling boxes.  Early on a Maine manufacturer of boxes donated 1500 boxes and shipped them free of charge to the HFB at the request of the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club.  At the same time, Rotarians and Friends began to pick up used boxes at local grocery outlets.  Rotarian George Szok of Bridgton has picked up and delivered to HFB about 1700 boxes over the past 8 months.  All together the Bridgton Club has picked up and delivered more than 2000 boxes.  And over that same period, twice that many new boxes have been taped or folded in preparation for food distribution.

“Boxes have become a real issue,” said Linda Bradly, Director of the Sweden Food Pantry.  “In the early days of the pandemic we put the 2-piece banana box together for strength and ease of use.  Eventually, we just used the top or the bottom supplemented by paper and plastic bags.  We have to be more creative all the time.”  Rotarians took some of the boxes which HFB had from last week’s laundry detergent distribution and delivered them to the Sweden Food Pantry.  “Every little bit helps”, remarked Linda.

For more information about the Bridgton-Lake Region Rotary Club and its service projects, visit our website, check out our Facebook Page, or email us at LakeRegionRotary@gmail.com.

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