Governor Mills Announces $1.25 Million for Maine Food Pantries and Anti-Hunger Programs as Federal Shutdown Continues

Funds from Governor's contingency account and the John T. Gorman Foundation to increase food supplies as shutdown suspends Federal food benefits for November

Governor Janet Mills announced today she is taking action to deliver $1.25 million to Good Shepherd Food Bank and other anti-hunger programs in Maine as the Federal shutdown is poised to cease food benefits for 170,000 Maine families, older adults, children, veterans, and people with disabilities on Saturday, November 1, in partnership with Maine philanthropy.

This $1.25 million consists of $1 million from the Governor's contingency account, plus $250,000 from the John T. Gorman Foundation. Using existing state relationships with Good Shepherd Food Bank and the state's network of Area Agencies on Aging, these funds will be distributed to support the state's network of food pantries and other anti-hunger programs and organizations across the state.

"When the federal government fails, Maine will not. When challenges arise, Maine people step up. In partnership with the John T. Gorman Foundation, we are taking action to deliver $1.25 million to strengthen Maine's food pantries, Meals on Wheels, and other programs that help support the food needs of Maine families, children, seniors and people with disabilities," said Governor Mills."My Administration is continuing to evaluate all options and push for solutions in Washington. One of the things I love about Maine is that we take care of each other, which is more important now than ever. I encourage Maine people to donate to your local food bank, check on your neighbors, and support your community in the face of significant hardship caused by this needless federal shutdown."

"In Maine, neighbors help each other when there's a storm on the horizon. As 170,000 Mainers -- including nearly 55,000 children -- stand to lose the food assistance they depend on, this is one of those moments," said John T. Gorman Foundation President & CEO Nicole Witherbee. "It's critical that we do everything we can to lessen the blow for these families and support the frontline organizations who will be working to meet an unprecedented level of demand until these benefits are restored. For the sake of our neighbors, I hope that's soon."

Details on the funding include:

• $650,000 in Governor's contingency funds and funds from the John. T. Gorman Foundation for the Good Shepherd Food Bank, to support food pantries and anti-hunger initiatives throughout Maine;
• $600,000 in Governor's contingency funding for AgeWise Maine, the state association for Maine's Area Agencies on Aging, for the agencies to increase the availability of meals in community dining locations, grab-and-go meals, and extra meals through Meals on Wheels to seniors and people with disabilities;
• In addition, the Governor has directed the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to commit an additional $10,000 to enhance the Hunters for the Hungry program, which pays the processing cost to qualified game processing businesses for donated bear, deer and moose.

"We are grateful to the Governor and the John T. Gorman Foundation for recognizing the critical situation so many of our neighbors across Maine are facing with the potential disruption of SNAP benefits," said Good Shepherd Food Bank President Heather Paquette. "These funds will helps us provide food and other resources for the nearly 600 food pantries and other organizations that we work with. Our partners on the front lines are facing an overwhelming need for food right now and these funds will go to work immediately to help ensure everyone in Maine has access to the good they need to feed themselves and their families during this uncertain time."

"The Agencies on Aging are on the front lines of ensuring older adults and people with disabilities have the food and nutrition they need," said Megan Walton, Board Chair of AgeWise Maine. "Our organizations provide meals through Meals on Wheels and community dining sites, and this funding will allow us to strengthen our reach at a time when so many more people are at risk of going without food."

On October 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture informed states that benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will not be distributed in November due to the Federal shutdown. Each month, some $29 million in Federal funding for SNAP is provided to 170,000 Maine people, with the average family of four receiving $572 each month.

Nearly 12.5 percent of the state's population rely on SNAP, with several counties -- Androscoggin, Aroostook, Washington, Piscataquis, and Somerset -- approaching or surpassing 20 percent of their populations. Nearly 75 percent of Maine's SNAP households include at least one working adult, more than half include a person with a disability, 43 percent include an older adult, and over one-third include children.

Earlier this week, Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that Maine had joined a muti-state lawsuit to compel USDA to release contingency funds, which have been authorized by Congress, to pay for SNAP benefits in November.

Under the Mills Administration, the State has made historic investments in nutrition and food security for Maine people. In 2021, Governor Mills made the School Breakfast and National School Lunch programs available to all Maine students at no cost. The State has also provided $1 million annually since 2020 to the Good Shepherd Food Bank to support hunger relief programs and organizations around Maine.