Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – In the business of providing electrical energy to homes and businesses in Aroostook County, Maine Public Service employees found a new way to provide energy to those in need this winter, holding a recent food drive, collecting non-perishable goods for Catholic Charities of Maine, a local non-profit.
“Maine Public Service Company employees completed a five-week food drive recently that yielded just over 7,694 pounds of food, ranging from soups and grains to healthy food for babies, which were donated to the Feed The County Food Bank of Catholic Charities of Maine,” said Virginia Joes, director of communications, board relations and economic development, MPS.
Employees were divided into teams, with special incentives provided by the company to encourage participation.
“The challenge consisted of 10 teams from all MPS locations in Aroostook. Each week, winning teams, with the greatest pounds per person, received a healthy snack prepared by the company’s Wellness Committee,” said Joles.
On pick-up day, staff gathered the many goods collected, carting cases of canned goods and boxed items to the truck for transport by Shaw to the newly-refurbished warehouse where the products are stored until they are distributed to area households.
Joles said Dixie Shaw, executive director of Catholic Charities of Maine’s food distribution program, was excited about the donation of nearly four tons of food.
“She was especially pleased, since reserves were pretty much empty because of the Fort Kent flood earlier this year,” said Joles.
Photo courtesy of MPS
DIXIE SHAW and Lloyd Maynard are pictured carting food to the truck at Maine Public Service’s State St., Presque Isle, location.
Photo courtesy of MPS
MAINE PUBLICE SERVICE employees helped make a difference for those in need this holiday, collecting items for distribution by Catholic Charities. Here, Dixie Shaw and Judy Drost load food from the MPS Presque Isle office on State St.
