Bangor-area teams amassing 100 turkeys to feed Maine veterans this Thanksgiving
A brand new Bangor-area nonprofit and the Maine Veterans Undertaking plan to provide 100 turkeys and greater than 250 baggage with nonperishable meals to veterans this Thanksgiving.
This would be the Maine Veterans Undertaking’s fourth yr internet hosting a meals drive forward of Thanksgiving, which has primarily targeted on giving veterans and their households canned meals and different nonperishables. Final yr, Not Your Common Nurses Basis joined the hassle, elevating about $1,500 to purchase 70 turkeys, mentioned Alan Beatty, founder and president.
The group was not established as a nonprofit at that time, nevertheless it grew to become one in March, he mentioned. It focuses on “serving to anybody and everybody we are able to,” with no give attention to specific populations.
Maine has veterans residing in poverty who battle to place meals on the desk, and this occasion, the date of which has not but been set, is designed to make their vacation season a bit of simpler. The meals drive is supposed to feed Higher Bangor veterans who sacrificed their lives throughout their service, however no one will probably be turned away, mentioned Shawn “Doc” Goodwin, Maine Veterans Undertaking founder.
“This yr, we’re wanting to make this one in every of our cornerstone occasions,” mentioned Beatty, who final yr was answerable for buying the turkeys. “We wish to go a step above this yr and provides out 100 turkeys, 100 kilos of bacon and 100 kilos of hamburger meat.”
Maine Veterans Undertaking is targeted on accumulating nonperishable gadgets, and it hopes to provide away greater than 250 baggage, Goodwin mentioned. Asa C. Adams Elementary in Orono, Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor and Twin Metropolis Tire & Service in Brewer, amongst different locations, have arrange assortment packing containers. That meals will quickly be picked up and sorted by volunteers, he mentioned.
Like final yr, Dennis Meals Service will present a truck to maintain the meat refrigerated on distribution day. Matthew and Dayna Alley have beforehand donated tons of of kilos of potatoes, and final November they took leftover meals from the drive to the American Legion in Machias, Goodwin mentioned.
Earlier than the meals drive started, Hartt Transportation Techniques, a former Bangor trucking enterprise, donated meat to the Maine Veterans Undertaking. When Goodwin known as a Maine veteran whose household was in want, the person “bawled his eyes out” as a result of he was so grateful, he mentioned.
Goodwin recalled that the timing was serendipitous as a result of the household had little or no meals remaining. The expertise impressed the meals drive, he mentioned.
“One of many largest issues I hate seeing is human struggling,” he mentioned. “We’re not going to let somebody starve. Meals is simply necessary.”
The Not Your Common Nurses Basis remains to be elevating cash to purchase turkeys and different meat from Orono IGA.
About three weeks into its fundraiser, it has raised about $800, which is sort of shy of its $5,000 objective, mentioned Beatty, who works as a nurse for the Penobscot Job Corps and as a faculty nurse in Greenbush. Members hope to lift a minimal of $2,400, he mentioned.
The muse plans to make a last push for financial donations within the parking zone of Orono IGA on Nov. 17 and 19. It can even have a sales space arrange throughout a craft truthful on the Bangor Mall on Nov. 18 and 19.
“I’m a veteran myself, and I perceive that instances are robust. After seeing the necessity final yr, it appeared necessary to proceed making this an annual factor,” Beatty mentioned. “We hope to go larger yearly that we do that.”
The Maine Veterans Undertaking and Not Your Common Nurses Basis will submit updates concerning the meals drive, together with the distribution date later this month, on their Fb pages.
