Food pantry proposed for Penobscot
By John Boit
PENOBSCOT—A Penobscot resident is proposing to create the town’s first food pantry.
Heather Emanuelson came before the Penobscot selectboard on Nov. 25 to discuss her idea. The pantry would essentially be a cupboard with non-perishable food.
”It’ll be small. Think four foot by a foot-and-a-half pantry–a cabinet, really,” Emanuelson said. Emanuelson said she would cover all costs of construction and will solicit donated funds and food for the pantry.
“The cost to the town? Zero dollars. The benefit to the town? Much-needed and way overdue,” Emanelson said.
She told the board that she had created a makeshift food pantry at the end of her driveway this Fall. Despite her efforts being noticed on social media, “not one person stopped by.”
“And I thought, ‘Why?’ Well, because if you know where I live, that is a really vulnerable, visible spot, and there is a psychological barrier to people wanting to stop because they can be seen. So I got to thinking, ‘How can I change that?’”
She said it will be important to find a place for the pantry where residents can stop by without being stigmatized. Some of the possible locations for the pantry that were discussed at the meeting included the post office, the town hall, the fire department, and local churches. No location has yet been chosen.
Other local food pantries in the area include the Tree of Life in Blue Hill, the Little Free Pantry in Castine, the H.O.M.E Food Pantry in Orland, the Bucksport Community Concerns Food Pantry in Bucksport, and the Island Food Pantry and Healthy Island Project Food Pantry, both in Stonington.
