MILLINOCKET – Inclement weather forecast for today will delay the delivery of food and essential supplies to Millinocket. The food is being collected by people in 67 congregations of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine in an effort to help people affected by the shutdown of Great Northern Paper Inc.

Despite the delay, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Millinocket will open its new food pantry and begin offering emergency assistance vouchers from 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday. A delivery will be made later this week to temporarily stock St. Andrew’s new pantry.

The Episcopal Diocese plans to make a complete delivery of nonperishable goods and essential items on Feb. 12.

In addition, the Episcopal Diocese of Maine has set up the Millinocket Emergency Outreach Fund. Bishop Chilton R. Knudsen made an appeal to all Mainers to help fund the Millinocket emergency fund. In the last 10 days, $15,300 has been donated to the special fund.

Heidi Shott, the diocese’s communications officer, said the fund will be administered by a committee at St. Andrew’s Church in Millinocket. The committee will issue vouchers mainly for fuel oil, groceries and prescription medicines to anyone affected by the paper mill shutdown. The vouchers will be redeemable at six local businesses, which in turn will bill the financial office of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine.

Shott said Tom’s of Maine had delivered eight four-foot-high pallets of personal care products.

Classrooms in part of the finished basement at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Millinocket will become a new food pantry later this week. “You have caught me crying,” said the Rev. Lance Almeida of St. Andrew’s, pointing to a bill for snowplowing.

“He [Elliott Michaud of Millinocket] has forgiven the rest of our snowplow payments for the winter,” said Almeida. “It is just an example of all of the many acts of kindness that are going on.”

Almeida said an Enfield man had called to donate apples to the church pantry, and at the close of church services on Sunday, a stranger came in and handed him $50.

Meanwhile, 2nd District U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud is working on several initiatives to provide assistance in the areas of prescription drugs, fuel, and education aid for the Katahdin region.

During a luncheon with President Bush held Monday for freshmen lawmakers, Michaud took the opportunity to discuss the crisis in the Millinocket area with the president. Michaud said he told the president that federal education assistance was critical because Maine faces a $1 billion revenue shortfall.

Food and essential supply donations will be accepted at the following times and locations: from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at St. David’s in Kennebunk; from 8 to 4 p.m. now through Monday, Feb. 10, at Loring House, 143 State Street, South Portland; and from 9 to noon Tuesday, Feb. 11, at St. Patrick’s in Brewer and at St. Mark’s in Augusta.

Donations to the Millinocket Emergency Outreach Fund may be made payable to the Diocese of Maine-Millinocket Outreach and sent to the Bishop’s Office, 143 State St., Portland 04101.