With the assistance of volunteers from local businesses and organizations, seven Ellsworth-area churches are able to keep the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry of Ellsworth open year-round.

Three days a week, from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, every month throughout the year, volunteers from churches, or from local organizations or businesses, work with Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry manager Judy Guildford. They assist those who come to the pantry seeking help in putting food on their tables.

For too many people, obtaining food is becoming increasingly difficult these days.

That is why Loaves & Fishes is so dependent on donations received during Maine Ending Hunger Week, which begins Friday, Nov. 16, and ends Monday, Nov. 26.

“It is our only fund-raiser of the year,” explained Janice Smith of Lamoine, a member of Lamoine Baptist Church and the Loaves & Fishes board of directors.

During Maine Ending Hunger Week, 10 cents on each dollar donated to Loaves & Fishes is matched by Partners in Ending Hunger of Camden.

Partners in Ending Hunger raises money, statewide, for matching funds for local food pantries, and Loaves & Fishes is included in that effort.

For the folks who run Loaves & Fishes, Maine Ending Hunger Week is the best time for individuals, businesses and organizations to make a contribution to this particular food pantry, because each donation is made larger by the contribution from Partners in Ending Hunger.

The necessity of organizations such as Loaves & Fishes to purchase food supplies for needy citizens appears to be greater than ever before.

For example, Smith said, she found 35 families taking advantage of products offered at Loaves & Fishes when she delivered turkeys to the site last Friday. She was surprised at that number.

If you are able to help your neighbors in the greater Ellsworth area feed their families, make your financial donation today to Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, P.O. Box 5504, Ellsworth 04654.

If you would like to drop off your donation in person, you can do so at the pantry’s new location at 119 Bucksport Rd. at the top of Bridge Hill next to the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Ellsworth.

From Bill Soule of Orono comes word that the Eastern Maine Model Railroad Club will host its 25th Annual Model Train Show, Sale and Silent Auction from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at Jeff’s Catering on Coffin Avenue in Brewer’s East-West Industrial Park.

Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children under age 12.

At the event you will find model trains running continuously on the club’s large, scenic modular layout.

Vendors throughout Maine, and beyond, will display model trains, equipment, structure and scenery materials as well as collectibles.

And you can buy and sell trains and related items, as well, at the silent auction.

The “Train Doctor” will be there for free testing and minor repairs of model trains and you can bring in your auction items the day of the show.

The first silent auction begins at 10 a.m. with bidding closing at 11 a.m., when a second silent auction starts, ending at 1 p.m. A third round, if needed, will run until 3 p.m. The club charges a 15 percent fee on the seller’s proceeds.

A nonprofit social club, the model railroad club meets on Monday evenings at a clubhouse built by members in East Orland. New members are always welcome.

Information about membership and club activities may be obtained by speaking with any member at the show, by calling Soule at 866-4060 or secretary Geoff Anthony at 374-2786, or e-mail dahak@acadia.net, or soule@maine.edu.

John Bapst Memorial High School administrative assistant Van Hussey is attempting to compile a complete set of yearbooks for the current school and the former John Bapst High School, founded in 1929.

Although it is not known whether yearbooks were issued in the early years of the Bangor institution, Hussey is hoping someone can answer that question.

The earliest book he has found is from 1931.

Missing yearbooks cover the years between 1932 through 1941 and for 1945 and 1988.

Anyone with information about yearbooks from those years who is willing to donate them to the school, is asked to call Hussey at 947-0313, fax him at 941-2474 or write him at John Bapst Memorial High School, 100 Broadway, Bangor 04401-5299.

Mary Harney, director of Down East AIDS Network in Ellsworth, has written the Bangor Daily News to thank publicly people in that area for their “generous support” of the organization’s “All Walk for Life” fund-raiser last month. She described it as “a huge success.”

Harney reports the walk raised $10,000 to help support people in Washington and Hancock counties living with HIV/AIDS and provide educational programs for people in the area served by Down East AIDS Network.

“To everyone who donated money, food, beverages, time, music and feet,” Harney wrote, “thank you on behalf of the people we serve, members of the staff and board of directors.”

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