
Nonperishables are seen on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the Jay Baptist Church food pantry. Leo Goddard/Franklin Journal
JAY – A new food pantry program began six weeks ago at Jay Baptist Church.
Pastor Chris Dalessio started at Jay Baptist Church around July 2024 and since then, he said, he has been looking for ways to aid the community. He said that he spoke with Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere on the topic and that she said there was great need for food assistance.

Nonperishables are seen on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the Jay Baptist Church food pantry. Leo Goddard/Franklin Journal
The Jay Baptist Church collaborated with the Maine Baptist Association and Central Church in Augusta to raise money and food donations.
The food pantry is located in the basement of the church in a closet and a back room. The hours of operation are Tuesdays from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. and Wednesdays 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Dalessio said that the beginning of the month is typically pretty quiet at the pantry, but that it tends to pick up later in the month. He suspects this is due to benefits such as SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] being used up by then. He shared that they try to limit the pantry to one bag per person, but that they can be flexible, especially if the person has children. Bags can be provided as well.
Dalessio said that he understands how difficult things are and how expensive food is. He said that the pantry is there to help the community and that they should not only take what they need, but what they want too. “We don’t tell them what they have to get,” said Dalessio. “We let them choose. We don’t want to make them get things that they know they won’t eat.”
The new food pantry can be accessed during its hours of operations or by calling Jay Baptist Church at [207] 897-6110.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs. You can modify your screen name here.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.