PORTLAND, Maine — THANK YOU, Mainers, for raising a total of $700,300 with 4,851 donations made during our 2020 Feed Maine Telethon.
In March, Maine United Telethon total was $634,641 with 3,334 donors.
$634,641 + $ 700,300 = $1.3 million for Mainers that NCM has helped to raise in a month
Phone lines are closed, but if you would like to donate you can do with this link below.
2020 Feed Maine Telethon volunteers
NEWS CENTER Maine is holding its third Feed Maine Telethon this Thursday, May 7 from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. All donations will benefit The Good Shepherd Food Bank.
During the coronavirus pandemic, hunger is an issue. Good Shepherd Food Bank is estimating that the rate of people who lack access to good, healthy, and nutritious food—the food insecure—could grow by as much as 40%.
Before the current health crisis, an estimated 180,000 Mainers were food insecure and needed help from food pantries. Good Shepherd Food Bank estimates the number of Mainers could reach 250,000 during this pandemic.
How can you help? By donating if you are able to.
Our volunteers from NEWS CENTER Maine and Good Shepherd Food Bank will be standing by all day to take your donation.
Wondering how your donation will be used?
- $40 = Contributes to household meals for a month
- $150 = Helps feed a child for 2 months
- $500 = Potatoes and apples to accompany 450 emergency boxes
- $1,200 = provides 32 families with an emergency food box
It’s important to note—these are just estimates based on what Good Shepherd Food Bank learned from the unemployment and poverty rates that followed the Great Recession in 2008. They are using data from that time period to help estimate what we could see over the coming months.
There will be five 'Matching Mainers' hours, where your donation will be matched up to $25,000 each hour.
- 5 a.m. - 6 a.m.: Matching Mainer's partner is Patrons Oxford Insurance
- 6 a.m. - 7 a.m.: Matching Mainer's partner is New England Cancer Specialists
- 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.: Matching Mainer's partner is UNUM
- 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Matching Mainer's partner is Hannaford
- 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.: Matching Mainer's partner is Machias Savings Bank
Joan Benoit Samuelson has offered up her knitting skills to Good Shepherd Food Bank. During the telethon, viewers who donate $100 or more will receive a handmade potholder, created by Joan herself (while supplies last).
Food insecurity has risen in Maine and we hope if you can donate you do on Thursday, May 7.
And if you need assistance during the pandemic, you can call 2-1-1.
--
At NEWS CENTER Maine, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the illness. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: /coronavirus
NEWS CENTER Maine Coronavirus Coverage