Manna seeks help with Thanksgiving feast 2,780 turkeys goal of kitchen

BANGOR – Chick Kelly, 17, and Keith Romprey, 18, were among dozens of people lining up Friday in the dining room of Manna Inc. on Center Street to get a free bag of groceries. It was the second time the young working couple had come to the grocery giveaway this fall, an event the soup kitchen puts on twice weekly.

Kelly, who is finishing high school, and Romprey, who pumps gas at an Irving station, said the potatoes and canned goods they took home would feed them through the weekend.

“Richard,” a college graduate, put down his free bag of groceries to talk about how Manna has helped him. At 53, the Bangor man, who has a degree in business management, recently found himself no longer able to work because of the effects of post traumatic stress disorder, an ailment that dates back to his military service in Vietnam. Richard, who asked that his last name not be used, also has physical problems that he believes are the result of contact with the herbicide Agent Orange. He has applied for disability compensation but relies on Manna for food and other kinds of help.

Kelly, Romprey and “Richard” are examples of the new clients Manna is serving these days. A stagnant local economy coupled with low wages for service-related jobs has doubled the numbers of working poor families seeking help with food. Fixed-income individuals are finding their monthly checks are stretched even thinner to cover rising living costs, so more are lining up for help at the soup kitchen, located at the corner of Center and Jefferson streets in Bangor.

Single parents, married couples with children, older people – they’re all coming in at a rate that is a concern for Bill Rae, Manna’s executive director.

Coupled with a drastic decrease in charitable donations, the trend points to a reduction in services Manna can offer and hence more problems for area poor unless the attitude toward giving changes, according to Rae.

“We’re not just blowing smoke here. We’ve lost about $8,000 in the last couple of months. As compared to what came in over the summer and last year, we’re down about $8,000 because funds were diverted to other areas of need,” Rae said.

There appear to be two reasons for the paltry financial response this fall to feed the hungry in the area, Rae said. First, many people sent funds to aid victims and families of the Sept. 11 suicide bombings in New York and Washington, D.C. Second, people have grown disillusioned with charitable giving after hearing stories of how Sept. 11 financial aid is not reaching the people who need it.

While the specter of the Sept. 11 tragedy remains, Rae said people need to start focusing on their neighbors “right here in Bangor.”

For Rae, who has headed the Christian-based soup kitchen since its start, the pressure to stretch dollars and food resources to a degree not seen before is taking a toll.

“This creates a strain on us,” said Rae.

For example, Manna often provides rent subsidies and other financial assistance to needy clients.

Now Rae finds he has to prioritize the individuals seeking extra help that is so desperately needed. “If I’m faced with limited funds and a single mother with two kids who can’t pay her rent or a single man, I might have to tell the man, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you,'” Rae said.

On Friday, Rae said he had 11 requests for financial aid and was able to provide help for eight. If the situation continues, Rae said, it won’t be long before he will have to refuse even more people who desperately need help to keep going.

Money donations would be welcome to help the soup kitchen through a time of financial and material need and may be sent to Manna Inc., 180 Center St., Bangor.

The soup kitchen also needs food which may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 am. and 4 p.m. Saturdays until Christmas.

The soup kitchen has become a staple in the Bangor area. It is known for serving five free suppers a week, giving out thousands of frozen turkeys at Thanksgiving and throwing holiday dinners for economically disadvantaged people. This year, more than 2,700 people have signed up for free turkeys for Thanksgiving compared to 2,300 last year.

Frozen turkeys – hundreds of them – are needed for a planned Thanksgiving giveaway.

“We need 2,780 turkeys, and we have 130 and two weeks left to go,” Rae said.