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Woman gives back to the soup kitchen that saved her life

After falling on hard times, Stacy Roe turned to the Belfast soup kitchen for food. Now, she is both a patron and volunteer.

BELFAST, Maine — Today, Stacy Roe is a diligent volunteer at the Belfast Soup Kitchen. However, she frequently used the soup kitchen's services before she became a volunteer. 

When a series of health and housing circumstances led her to miss a month of food stamps and a social security check, Stacy went to the soup kitchen every day. She says it saved her life. 

"I needed food desperately, so I was coming to the soup kitchen. That means I was coming here every single day... but I felt bad that I couldn't give something back." 

Ultimately, Stacy would offer to lend a hand, over and over again.

Gina Martin, the manager of the Belfast Soup Kitchen says she initially gave Stacy some small jobs, like taking out the trash or wiping down tables. She says Stacy became a reliable contributor to the soup kitchen's services, and she eventually offered her a full-time volunteering position.

"Volunteering here is the only way that I can give back. It's the only way I can show appreciation for the people who help people like me," Stacy says. 

The services the Belfast Soup Kitchen offers are essential to the community. Over half of the people in the area are reportedly food insecure. 

The proceeds from NEWS CENTER Maine's "Feed Maine" campaign go towards the Good Shepherd Food Bank which helps soup kitchen's and pantries around the state, including the Belfast Soup Kitchen.

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