Bethel Food Pantry Director Mary McVey confirmed that 17 new families arrived at the Bethel Area Food Pantry in the past month, while on Wednesday, Oct. 29, about 61 people came to shop— up from the usual 50 or so.

McVey and fellow director Dave Bean have been preparing for more demand as Mainers lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits amid record cuts to the program made in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by Republicans in July.

Their concerns have only increased in recent days because of the uncertainty that SNAP benefits to many still-eligible families won’t arrive in November because of the current government shutdown.

Three other local initiatives have also launched to help feed families in the Bethel area.

Meryl Kelly’s farm-to-pantry extension fund

Pooled funds from Meryl Kelly’s Longer Table farm-to-customer delivery service will be used to buy directly from farmers for delivery to the Bethel Area Food Pantry. The expanded “farm to pantry” program supports both farmers and EBT/SNAP recipients.

Chapman Brook Farm, Swain’s Family Farm and others have contracts with Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn, but farm advocate Kelly, of Bethel, will also source from farms such as Great Brook Farm in Newry and Shaw’s Family Farm in South Paris under the new arrangement.

“The first week, (customers) gave $350 worth of donations — meaning next Tuesday the pantry will have High View Milk, potatoes donated by Cooper Farms, onions and eggs . . . people are fed, farmers are paid. What can be better than that?” Kelly wrote on Instagram.

Donations can be made via Venmo to A Longer Table (@Meryl-Kelly) or at her farmstand, 104 Skillings Road in Bethel.

Bethel Area Food Assistance Fund gift cards

Becky Cristoforo and Sammy Sirois are working with Mainely Provisions supermarket to provide $100 gift cards to EBT/SNAP recipients in Bethel, Gilead, Newry, Greenwood, Albany Township and Woodstock.

Cards will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. The group also plans to keep emergency cards at Mainely Provisions for EBT users who run short at checkout.

So far, they have raised $1,300 in food cards that they will distribute to the first 13 families on the waiting list this week. 

Donations can be made by purchasing $25, $50 or $100 food cards at Mainely Provisions at 72 Main St. for the Bethel Area Food Assistance Fund.

For more information: contact Becky Christoforo at [email protected] or Sammy Sirois at [email protected] with any questions.

Community meal added each month

About 30 people attended a meeting hosted by Samantha Mullen on Oct. 30 at The Gem Theater.

“Neighbors Feeding Neighbors” will introduce a second monthly community meal at Bethel United Methodist Church, which hosts one supper each month.

So far, Mullen has organized two dinners open to “anyone and everyone.” Attendees contributed about $480 and donated roughly 200 pounds of food for the local food pantry.

At the Oct. 30 meeting, Mullen asked attendees for help with future meals, and several people volunteered to assist with various tasks.

The next community dinner is scheduled for Nov. 11 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 75 Main St., Bethel.

Going forward, the group plans to host dinners on the second Tuesday of each month.

Mullen can be reached by email at [email protected]