Justin Chenette is the York County commissioner for Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Hollis and
Buxton and is a former state senator.

Food feeds more than just the body; it feeds the soul. Sadly, even in the United States, access to high-quality food is neither universal nor equal. Poverty and food insecurity are not distant issues; they are crises unfolding right here in our own backyard.

My commitment to this issue is personal. I grew up in a household that relied on food assistance, public housing and community generosity. My mother worked incredibly hard as a single parent, but sometimes even a full-time job isn’t enough to bridge the gap. I still keep a physical food stamp from that chapter in my life as a reminder of how fragile economic fortunes can be. It serves as a testament to the vital importance of a social safety net.

The reality is that food insecurity can affect anyone at any time. No one is immune. We are often just one job loss, medical emergency or car repair away from financial collapse. With over 1 in 5 Americans lacking emergency savings, the margin for error is razor-thin.

In Maine, approximately 192,000 people — nearly 14% of our population — experience food insecurity. This includes 1 in 5 children, the highest rate in New England. York County mirrors these sobering statistics, with over 26,000 residents, including 7,000 children, experiencing hunger.

When we learned that the York County Shelters Program was forced to close its regional food pantry due to financial struggles, the York County Commission knew we had to act. This pantry, already located in a county-owned building in Alfred, was a lifeline for thousands of residents in every corner of our county. Its closure would have left a devastating void, particularly in rural areas where resources are already scarce, and local food pantries are harder to come by.

The richest country on Earth should not have anyone go hungry. It is a moral failure when people go without while there is plenty to go around. I advocated for the county to take over the operations of this regional pantry. My fellow commissioners agreed, and we stepped in within a month.

It is rare to see any level of government move with such deliberate urgency, but the stakes were too high for bureaucracy to stand in the way. We first passed a unanimous measure to prevent an immediate lapse in service, allocating $25,000 from the contingency fund. We followed this by approving $100,000 in the annual budget to officially place the program under county oversight and bring on staff. Saving this regional resource is a reflection of our shared values.

Today, the newly named First County Food Pantry is thriving. By partnering with the Good Shepherd Food Bank and utilizing the county’s charitable arm, the First County Foundation, we can now leverage private donations, grants, corporate support and an army of volunteers to enhance the public funding we annually allocate for maximum impact. Our pantry works with area grocery stores and local businesses to minimize food waste and to restock our shelves weekly.

We are literally feeding over 3,000 York County residents a month through this regional food pantry, and around the holidays, we hold special drive-through hours. Located at 5 Swetts Bridge Road in Alfred, the pantry is open Tuesdays and Fridays from noon to 3 p.m.

Let this serve as a prime example of how county government, once seen as Maine’s lost level of government, can be more involved in providing regional leadership, particularly around issues that matter in people’s lives, like food insecurity. The York County Commission is proving that government, at any level, can and should ensure that no neighbor is left with an empty plate.