Manna seeks food to restock cupboard

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His statement was simple and straightforward, as it always is when, periodically, he finds it necessary to ask your help.

“We are out of food,” Manna Ministries director Bill Rae told me Thursday. “Yesterday, at our midweek food distribution, we gave out food to 132 people.”

Rae reported that during February, Manna dispensed emergency food supplies to more than 1,800 people, which is an increase from January.

“And, he said, “March is going to be right up there, too. This has depleted our stocks to a dangerous level. Really, we’ve seen a huge demand on our services. Our funds are low, because we’re putting a lot of money into fuel and rent.

“People are just hurting,” he continued. “Every month, it’s getting worse, and we are not going to turn anybody away, and we’re not going to give them just a can of baked beans. We don’t want kids to fall behind in school because they go to bed with nothing to eat at night. We’ve got to give people substantial supplies.”

Rae cited “a huge unemployment rate” as one of the factors in increased demands on the services of Manna.

As more individuals “are being laid off,” he added, “they are in need of emergency help.”

The items Manna needs most are tomato sauce, all kinds of pasta, macaroni and cheese, soups, canned meat, SpaghettiOs and ravioli, and Ramen noodles.

Rae wants you to know that your donations can really make a difference to people who might find themselves “going without a meal to pay for fuel or rent.”

Donations can be delivered 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday to Manna Ministries, 180 Center St., Bangor.

For more information, call Manna at 990-2870.

The first Friends of the Shelter Evening is 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the College Center Ballroom on the University College of Bangor campus.

Invitations are now in the mail.

If you are a friend of the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter and have not received an invitation, please call the shelter staff at 947-0092 by Friday, March 21, to have your name added to the guest list.

With the increased demand for supplies to be distributed at food pantries and meal sites, here’s another way you can help.

Sandy Laversa, owner of Curves 30 Minute Fitness and Weight Loss Centers in Bangor and Old Town, and Austin and Kim Griffin, owners of Curves in Brewer, are participating in Curves’ annual “Food for Friends” food drive throughout March.

Members of the public can drop off nonperishable food items during normal business hours, which are 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2:30-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, at local Curves centers

Also, as part of that drive, members joining Curves during “Food for Friends” week, which is Monday, March 17, through Saturday, March 22, can bring a bag of groceries to their local Curves facility, and the normal service fee will be waived.

Curves for Women clubs are located at 1179 Hammond St., Bangor; 496 Stillwater Ave., Old Town; and 153 State St., Brewer.

Nationally, Curves sites dedicate the month of March to gathering nonperishable foods to be distributed to local food banks in the areas where the centers are located.

Last year, the drive collected more than 2 million pounds of food nationwide.

Food collected at the three local sites will be distributed to food pantries in Greater Bangor.

If you have questions about this local effort, call Bangor Curves at 947-0000, Curves in Old Town at 827-7200 or Curves in Brewer at 989-3733.

Members of Orono High School Class of 1978 are in the midst of planning for their 25th reunion, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 26.

However, they are missing a few classmates and hope you can help. Anyone with addresses for the following are asked to call Steve Smith at 827-8284 or Kathy Hooper Kittridge at 866-5892.

The missing members of OHS ’78 are Mike Belleau, Beth Bear Brooks, Tom Corley, Debbie Cota Meyers, Tom Griffin, Karen Paul Gray and Mitchell Kaplan.

Also on the “missing” list area Liz Camp Larson, Kim Mahar, Maria Santoes, Dan Scontras, Debbie Dickey Smith, Lorna St. Louis Brooks, David Trafford and Lisa Ward.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.