HOULTON — In the season of giving, perhaps never before more needed than now, St. Mary of the Visitation Parish in Houlton is stepping up to help community members during an Advent in pandemic.
Through Christmas Eve, community members have been asked to participate in the “12 Days of Giving” initiative for Mildred’s Food Pantry, housed in the basement of St. Mary of the Visitation Church on 110 Military Street.
For the “12 Days of Giving,” participants are asked to choose items, from as few as one to as many as 12 from a list of food and resources running in short supply at the pantry. Once gathered, the items can be dropped off in shopping carts set up at the back of the church on Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or on the rectory porch.
The 12 items are: flour, dried pasta, sugar, juice, cooking oil, toothpaste, canned or dried fruit, toilet paper, crackers, dish soap, cereal and shampoo.
The pantry is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Anyone in need can call 207-532-9122 on Tuesday or Thursday mornings between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. to schedule a socially-distanced appointment to pick up food. All in need are welcome.
For nearly 30 years, Mildred’s Food Pantry has served as a pillar of support for those in need living in the Houlton area. Despite the inherent challenges of operating a food pantry during a pandemic, the dedicated volunteers at Mildred’s continue to find a way because so many in the community rely on it.
“There are some who are coming in every week or two because they need it,” said Kaylene Shupe, coordinator of the pantry, who added that many new people have been added to the list of those receiving food since the start of the pandemic. “Needs are being met thanks to the generosity of people in the community.”
And help is always welcome at the pantry. Volunteer opportunities are available, including people to drop off groceries to the homebound. Donations are appreciated, and monetary contributions are also accepted.
The pantry got its name from a woman named Mildred Madigan, who spent many years as a volunteer and manager of the pantry and helped set the tone for its mission as well.
“No one ever asks personal questions of those seeking assistance, and religion and church is never discussed,” Madigan said on the occasion of the pantry being named after her in 2015. “The need for food is the only prerequisite for coming to the pantry.”
The guiding principle of the pantry is to place service above self, and it continues to guide volunteers even in uncertain times.
For more information about the pantry, contact St. Mary of the Visitation Parish at 207- 532-2871.