Sanford, ME – Footprints Food Pantry (aka Footprints) and Gather each received a $1,000 donation from the Partners Bank “Employee Donation of the Month” program in April and May.

Staying true to the tagline The Bank That Listens, each month, Partners Bank selects an employee to choose an organization or charity that is important to them. That organization then receives a $1,000 donation from the Bank.

Michel Racine, Network Administrator, and Michaela Clancy, Assistant Manager of the Rye branch, selected Footprints and Gather, respectively.

These donations couldn’t have come at a better time as a major shelter in Southern Maine recently announced its suspension of operations to prepare for its inevitable closure, citing the rising costs of heating, utilities, food, and other operational expenses as the cause. Coupled with the inconsistency of food donations, food pantries and emergency housing shelters throughout the region are fighting to keep up with the community’s increasing need for their services.

Partners Bank and its employees empathize and want to help food pantries like Footprints and Gather during these tough times.

Based in Kittery, ME, Footprints is a 501(c)(3) organization providing a free supply of groceries, fresh produce, personal care items, and pet food for residents in the county.

“I selected Footprints because it serves the community I live in. It has lost some of its funding due to the political climate and the need has doubled due to people in the local area losing their jobs,” Racine shares about the York County-based food pantry. “I personally know people in my community who are served by Footprints, and they go above and beyond to help those in need.”

Footprints’ food assistance program allows those in need to stop by the pantry and shop for groceries free of charge after filling out an intake form in person. Their pantry is located at 22 Shapleigh Road, Kittery, ME, and the hours are:

• Monday: 9–11 a.m.
• Tuesday: 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 5–7 p.m.
• Wednesday: 2–6 p.m.
• Thursday: 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

If arriving in person is not possible for folks, Footprints offers delivery services as well.

Footprints relies on donors, local organizations, and businesses for financial support and food donations to help the 75+ volunteers aid those experiencing food insecurity. Interested donors should visit https://www.footprintsfoodpantry.org/donate for more information.

Like Footprints, Gather offers fresh produce, proteins, dry goods, gluten-free, non-dairy, vegan choices, personal care items, pet food, baby care, and toiletries. Gather’s programs are offered to those who live or work in New Hampshire and Maine.

To shop at their pantry at no cost, one person in the household must sign up to be a Gather member via their website. Their pantry is located at 210 West Road, Unit 3 Portsmouth, NH, and the hours are:

• Monday–Thursday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Other assistance programs are Mobile Markets, Fresh Food Bus, Meals For Kids, Gather Café, Cooking 4 Community, and Grow for Gather.

“I have been fortunate enough over the last year to volunteer in the pantry and Mobile Market and have seen firsthand the benefit of this organization to the Seacoast community,” Clancy shares.

Gather relies on food and monetary donations to serve more than 105,000+ Seacoast residents each month. They accept food donations year-round at their pantry and monetary donations on their website.

Partners Bank is proud of its employees for their continued commitment to improving the community and uplifting those in need through the “Employee Donation of the Month” program.