FORT KENT, Maine — Kierra Abdul started delivering groceries to residents in the Fort Kent area just a month ago, fulfilling a major need in the region. She’s already thinking of ways to expand.
Abdul moved to northern Maine from New York about four years ago and for the past two years has worked as an admissions counselor at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
She has grown attached to the area, which like most of far northern Maine has few options for people without transportation or who are homebound. She realized there was a need and wanted to give back to a community that has transformed her perspective.
“The people here have completely changed my whole outlook on life,” Abdul said. “So I wanted to stay. Honestly, the people here are amazing. Everyone I meet is super genuine, nice and helpful. So after coming here I realized I wanted to help the community.”
Abdul started doing volunteer work, and through getting to know the community she learned that many people lacked transportation and access to groceries, particularly among the older population.
The Presque Isle-based Aroostook Regional Transportation System provides limited service in northern towns, and while a handful of taxi companies exist in central and southern Aroostook County, the closest one to the St. John Valley is in Caribou.
Abdul is one of several people who have recently moved — or returned — to The County and planned a business to fill a void in the area. Earlier this month, a couple who relocated from Houston, Texas opened an independent bakery in Presque Isle, and most recently, two Valley natives announced they will open a brewpub at Madawaska’s former border station.
Abdul primarily takes delivery orders through the business’s Facebook page, which also has a link to a Google form that customers can fill out to indicate exactly what they will need. Customers can also send Abdul a message through the page to make an order.
She delivers outside her full-time work schedule at the university, so primarily works on nights and weekends. At this point she serves several customers every week.
“I do have one regular who orders every other week for his mother, and he’s in Connecticut. I really love that,” she said.
She garnered about 12 customers in the first month, which she said is the perfect amount for just starting out because it has allowed her to get her footing and tweak aspects of the business.
The feedback has already been positive and many people are excited to have a new option, she said. People who are sick, or at home with sick kids, have also expressed gratitude for her services.
That gratitude has already extended to real help. Abdul posted about groceries slipping in the back of her car, for example, and then someone quickly bought and donated storage boxes.
“I feel like the community has been extremely supportive, especially with sharing what I’m doing and spreading the word on social media,” Abdul said.
The service has already expanded beyond the boundaries of Fort Kent, with a dollar per mile charged for towns located outside Fort Kent.
Abdul currently transports groceries, but would eventually like to add food delivery from local restaurants, she said. She has created a parent company, True Northern Holdings LLC, and hopes to expand as business grows, including hiring someone to help while she’s at her main job.
“I’m not trying to limit myself to anything, so as long as the numbers make sense I will absolutely keep going,” she said.