Photo Album: How food pantries prepare for distribution days

Raymond Edmunds walks along the loading dock Sept. 1 at the Harrison Food Bank. In addition to food donations, the organization stashes toys and other gifts in a truck body to distribute to area children at Christmas time. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Sandy Swett is the founder and operations manager of the Harrison Food Bank. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Dot Brooks rolls up portions of frozen turkey bacon Sept. 1 at the Harrison Food Bank. Brooks volunteers up to six days a week at the facility. “I have a purpose,” Brooks said. “Friends have turned into family here. We all go out to dinner together.” The turkey bacon was part of a collection of donations from area summer sleep-away camps that had recently closed for the season. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Andrew Edmunds pre-fills boxes with dry goods Sept. 1 at the Harrison Food Bank. Volunteers do as much preparation to organize donation boxes ahead of time to take the pressure off of distribution day. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Boxes loaded with dry-goods, bread and bananas sit pre-loaded at the Harrison Food Bank. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Raymond Edmunds makes room in the walk-in freezer Sept. 1 at the Harrison Food Bank. Volunteers were waiting for a large truck delivery of frozen fish, which they expected would take up a big portion of the freezer. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

A school bus and other vehicles use the center lane to get past cars lining up on Mt. Vernon Ave. around 7:45 a.m. Sept. 1 while they wait for the Augusta Food Bank parking lot to open at 8 a.m. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Reginald Gagne directs cars that had been lined up on Mt. Vernon Avenue into the Augusta Food Bank parking lot just after 8 a.m. Sept. 1 in Augusta. Cars line up on Mt. Vernon Avenue for hours before the lot opens at 8 a.m. for the distribution that starts at 8:30 a.m. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal