Celebrating Thanksgiving with gratitude

There are many resources available for those struggling with food insecurity

By STATE SEN. HENRY INGWERSEN Special to the Gazette

This week, I hope that the residents of Senate District 32 — whether in Dayton, Biddeford or Arundel, Hollis and Lyman, — can celebrate the holiday with their families, friends and neighbors. This time of year, our community always seems to pull closer together, and the past month has been no exception.

As we experienced the uncertainty of funding for SNAP (food stamps) for the nearly 1,500 families in our area that depend on it, businesses, groups, individuals and organizations rose to the occasion. Some of you donated items, money or time. Some of you shared flyers and posts on social media. Some of you checked in on a friend or a neighbor and found help for them. I am grateful for all of you and your efforts.

Although folks ultimately received their full SNAP benefits, hunger remains present in our community. Among the many food assistance resources available, I want to spread the word about the new Maine Food Access Map from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

The Ending Hunger Corps collaborated with food security organizations throughout the state to collect and compile data on a wide range of resources, which you can view online here. Because the map is new, I still encourage folks to contact the organization to confirm details such as hours of operation and services. I hope you explore the map, whether you are looking for help or you are looking to help.

In addition to the Maine Food Access Map, Youth Full Maine has put together a more local list of food resources for residents of Biddeford, Saco and Dayton. You can view the chart online here. I would like to highlight that, thanks to Youth Full Maine and our School Departments, every school in the district has an emergency food pantry. They offer take-home ingredients and meals, which may be helpful over the holiday break.

Looking a little beyond Thanksgiving, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, Youth Full Maine will host a free food distribution in the parking lot of Biddeford Ice Arena (14 Pomerleau St.). It will be a drive-thru event with dry goods and fresh produce, featuring Santa. Mark your calendars and share the event.

As a reminder, for the entire month of November, the Maine Federation of Farmers Markets continues to provide Maine Harvest Bucks to SNAP participants at farmers’ markets. When you show your EBT card at a participating farmers’ market, including the nearby Kennebunk Farmers Market, you will receive $15 in Maine Harvest Bucks to spend on fresh produce. You can do this every time you visit the market in November. (Please be sure to check the hours ahead of time.)

Even before the SNAP crisis, I was proud to work on a bill that allocates ongoing funding to the Maine Harvest Bucks program. Although the full amount did not make it into the state’s budget, my proposal has been carried over to the next legislative session. That means I can try again.

Last month, I also successfully made the case for why the Legislature should, next session, consider a new bill to ensure we can continue to fund this critical program from private or state sources – even if federal match dollars disappear or dry up. After the Legislature resumes its work in January, I will be sure to share more information on this bill, including how and when to testify on it.

Being a grandfather, I am looking forward to time with my family this week. I hope you will, too. If the resources in this column do not provide the help you or someone you know is looking for, you can always call 211 or contact me at Henry.Ingwersen@legislature.maine.gov. You can also call the Senate Majority Office at (207) 287-1515.

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Henry Ingwersen is serving his second term as the state senator representing District 32, which includes Biddeford, Arundel, Dayton, Hollis and Lyman.

He may be contacted at  Henry.Ingwersen@legislature.maine.gov.