REGION — While some area food pantries will be giving out Thanksgiving food baskets this year, one will not.
The Franklin Journal reached out to local food pantries to learn about their Thanksgiving food basket plans this year. Some pantries could not be reached and one chose not to share information.

The sign for Care and Share Food Closet, located at 508 Fairbanks Rd. is seen Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Farmington. It was announced recently the closet will not be giving out Thanksgiving food baskets this year. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
“We are not doing anything this year,” Susan French, volunteer coordinator and co-director of the Care and Share Food Closet in Farmington, said recently. “We are staying afloat. It costs a lot of money to put those food baskets together and I am making the decision not to do that because we need what money we have for our operational expenses.”
French stressed the closet is not broke and has more than enough funds to continue supplying weekly food baskets. “We are not doing anything for Thanksgiving so that we can keep everything afloat, to meet our monthly budget,” she noted.
The closet receives food from Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn, has a great relationship with them, French said. “We need money, we always need money just to stay afloat,” she stated. “There is no extra money for Thanksgiving baskets. I don’t want the community to get panicky that we don’t have money but at the same time I want people to understand that we need donations and funds.”
Last month, the closet served more than 1,700 people including over 800 families, French said. “We are very, very busy and our numbers are always climbing,” she noted. “In order to maintain our continued operating costs, we are not spending the money on the Thanksgiving food baskets this year. We have to go out and buy those turkeys. We can’t get them at the 49 cents a pound that people often get. I have tried but I can’t buy at bulk at 49 cents. If I could it would be a different story.”
Purchasing the turkeys is a huge expense and French said she made the decision not to do so this year. “I would rather just keep us focused so we can continue to serve 1,700 people,” she stated. “We also have a huge operating cost. I believe we may be the largest food pantry in Franklin County. We have all those freezers. Our electric bill is crazy.”
French added the closet will always take donations.
For more information about donating or volunteering, call 207-778-0508.
Helen Pinkham with United Methodist Economic Ministry [UMEM] in Salem Township on Nov. 19 said the food pantry there is seeing an increase in clients served. “It went up from about 117 families served, climbing up to 200 families a month now,” she noted. “We definitely have seen more and more requests.”
Pinkham said 73 families have signed up for Thanksgiving baskets so far. “Last year we had 82, we always have last minute requests,” she stated. “I am sure we will reach that number again.”
Expenses have increased for the UMEM food pantry which uses seven freezers and three refrigerators, Pinkham noted. Food is purchased from the Good Shepherd Food Bank, she added.
For more information call 207-678-2611.
Dorrie White, manager of the Phillips Area Food Pantry earlier Tuesday said Thanksgiving food boxes are being given out. So far 44 families have signed up and applications are still being taken, she noted. Boxes come with a choice of turkey, chicken, or turkey breast, she stated.
White said she has enough boxes for 50 families. While special boxes are not given at Christmas, any leftover food will go towards that holiday, she noted. “When asked, most families prefer a Thanksgiving box over a Christmas one,” she added.
For more information, call White at 207-491-0118.
Sign-ups for Thanksgiving baskets at the Clearwater Food Pantry in Industry started in September, Amy Palmer said Tuesday. “Anyone who has been using the pantry could apply,” she stated. “We are making about 50 baskets that include a gift card good towards turkey, ham, whatever.”
Some families don’t have the ability, time or knowledge to cook a turkey, Palmer noted. The gift card allows them to obtain what they prefer, she said. “The baskets will include anything you would need for a Thanksgiving dinner,” she stated. “Larger families will get a basket with additional items such as extra cans of beans.”
Palmer said the pantry has worked hard to provide the baskets. “Pine Tree Poultry in New Sharon has been very generous and gracious all year long, not just during this time,” she noted. “We do pick up Monday from Hannaford.” She said changes have been made so the pantry is not getting as much there as it had in the past.
Leftover food is taken to Care and Share Closet in Farmington, Palmer noted. She and her husband Dan are also active at the pantry in Starks and cook meals once a week at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Farmington.
“We have been very blessed at both food pantries,” Amy stated. “A lot of people are willing to work. There is concern about what is going to happen over the next four years. We will continue on.”
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