Ending Hunger tour delivers nearly
$1,000 to County food pantries
PRESQUE ISLE — From Oct. 29-31, the 11th annual Maine credit unions’ Ending Hunger Walking Tour traveled throughout Aroostook County and made stops in nine different communities to make a contribution to a local food pantry. Brenda Davis, one of the state’s leading ending hunger advocates, has been partnering with Maine’s credit unions to coordinate the Ending Hunger Walking Tour for the past 11 years.
NorState FCU’s Tammy McKinnon welcomes Brenda Davis to the credit union’s branch in Presque Isle, one of nine communities that the Maine Credit Unions’ Ending Hunger Walking Tour visited while in Aroostook County Oct. 29-31. 
A food pantry in each community received a contribution from the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger.
The purpose of the walk is to raise awareness and distribute some of the statewide funds raised by the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger. In 2011, the campaign raised a record-setting $447,000 and has raised more than $4.3 million since 1990.
In Aroostook County, the tour stopped in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Houlton, Madawaska, Presque Isle, St. Agatha, St. Francis and Van Buren. Checks for $111 each (commemorative of this being the tour’s 11th year), were presented at each stop —funds raised purchases more than $1,500 in food through the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Food pantries receiving a contribution include (listed alphabetically by town): Goodwill Pantry in Caribou; Friends Helping Friends in Fort Fairfield; Greater Fort Kent Ecumenical Food Pantry in Fort Kent; St. Mary’s Food Pantry in Houlton; St. Thomas Aquinas/St. David Food Pantry in Madawaska; Aroostook Band of MicMacs Social Services Food Pantry in Presque Isle; St. Charles Food Pantry in St. Francis; St. Joseph Food Pantry in Sinclair; and St. Peter-Chanel Food Pantry in Van Buren.
This year’s tour will be visiting the most communities and covering the most miles in its history.
The walk is expected to encompass more than 1,500 miles, with approximately 750 of that on foot, and visit a record-setting 77 communities from Kittery to Madawaska. The tour will visit every Maine county for the seventh consecutive year.
In addition to contributing funds to Davis’ food pantry, which is one of the largest in Eastern Maine, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger will contribute to a food pantry in each of the 77 communities that the tour visits.
The walk will conclude with a ceremony at Changing Seasons FCU in Hampden on Friday, Nov. 30.
Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised over $4.3 million to help end hunger in Maine. This is the 23rd year of the campaign. Contributions to the campaign are tax-deductible and 100 percent of all funds raised go directly to the cause of ending hunger and stay in Maine.
To make a contribution, stop by any local credit union.
For daily updates on the Walking Tour, visit www.mainecul.org.
