2015 JoAnn Pike Humanitarian Award

Dinner & Celebration 

Every year since 2005 Good Shepherd Food Bank has honored the memory of JoAnn Pike, our founder, by saluting an individual, corporation, or organization that shares her passion for ending hunger in Maine. We are honored to announce Bill Williamson and the Bank of America Maine team as the 2015 JoAnn Pike Humanitarian Award recipient! 

You are asked to attend many “special” events so let me explain what makes this one exceptional. The venue is the Food Bank’s 54,000 square foot distribution center in Auburn.  Good Shepherd has chosen its “head office” so that Maine’s business leaders will have an opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at the facility that sent 17 million pounds of food to 600 local hunger-relief agencies in 2013. Functioning on most days as a warehouse, on April 9 it will be transformed into an elegant dining room.  

The dinner will be as original as the venue. The meal, prepared by well-known local chefs who donate their time, will feature foods provided by local producers who participate in the Mainers Feeding Mainers program, which enables the Food Bank to supply our partner agencies with fresh local foods at low or no cost.

I hope that you will consider attending the event. Your support will go directly to Good Shepherd Food Bank’s 2015 programs to continue to the fight against hunger in Maine. Here are the sobering facts about hunger in our state:

• Fifteen percent of Maine households, or more than 200,000 people, struggle with hunger
• Maine’s hunger rate ranks 17^th in the nation and 1^st in New England
• One in four Maine children faces hunger – Maine ranks 1^st in New England for child hunger
• Food insecurity in Maine has increased by 50 percent over the past decade

Hunger is a significant contributing factor to our state’s increasing healthcare needs as well as our shortfalls in educational achievement and career development. As Maine's only statewide food bank, the programs and services of Good Shepherd are more important now than ever.

Please contact Julie Guerette for more information regarding the event and sponsorship levels. She may be reached at (207) 782.3554 x 1164 or by email at jguerette@gsfb.org.