Peggy Bean then introduced our program which included past President Dick Lagarde and Don Bisson talking about the Biddeford Food Pantry which is the oldest food pantry in Maine having been founded by Rita Reilly in 1981. Our club has regularly supported the Biddeford Food Pantry and Dick acknowledged that fact. Dick is now retired from the world of business and municipal finance and he is volunteering at the food pantry while growing a wicked nice captain’s beard.
Don Bisson has run the food pantry for the last 11 years. He indicated that demand is up 3% this year and people are typically given 3 weeks’ worth of food when they come in. They serve Biddeford, Dayton and Arundel and any communities that do not have their own food pantry.
Don informed everyone that the Biddeford Food Pantry bought its building after raising $55,000.00 in two months in a capital campaign. He thanked Saco and Biddeford Savings and Rick Hull for making hat happen. Dick tried to thank Lucie as an employee of Saco and Biddeford Savings at which point I really reached for a barf bag. He said the purchase of the building was a miracle because otherwise their rent was going to become unaffordable.
Dick announced the pantry’s Miracle of Sharing initiative in which local businesses can support the pantry with a payroll deduction program and a company match. He indicated that his former employer, Prescott Metal started such a program about a year and a half ago and they have already funded 1,500 meals for the pantry which has ongoing costs like spending $2,200 monthly on food purchased from the Good Shepard Food Bank and over $600 in electric bills for their lights and refrigeration. Don did point out that all of the workers are volunteers.
If your business might be interested in a payroll deduction program for the food pantry please see the information below and contact Dick.
The highlight of the meeting was the apparent result of a Rotarian’s consumption of a special order meal of the Run of the Mill burritos with extra black beans. While the Rotarian tried to pass off her (no it was not Lucie … this time) gas (pun intended) as the sounds of a construction reciprocating drill the tears in my eyes indicated otherwise. The woman could be a chemical weapon. I should note that she was very polite and repeatedly said “excuse me” though it was frequently difficult to hear Dick and Don over the noise. Reduced fiber might be in order.
