Waterville Rotary club wraps up successful grant program for food insecurity

In keeping with one of its goals, Waterville Rotary Club board voted recently to take $15,000 out of its reserves to offer grants addressing food insecurity in the greater Waterville area.

The Community Services Committee, chaired by KVCAP’s Michele Prince, was charged with developing grant criteria, an application and scoring process for the committee members to fairly evaluate the applications. The maximum possible allotment was $3,000 per application, and the request needed to be submitted by a 501c3.

Due to the demonstrated need in the area, the committee decided to contribute the total of its cups and fines donations for two months to this effort as well, allowing for a total contribution in grants of $15,534.

Eight applications were accepted, with the following list of recipients recommended by the committee, and ratified by the Rotary board:

• Central Maine Gleaners:  Community Fridge Program with fridge located in Waterville and food available to all. Amount awarded: $1,950.
• Waterville Area Essentials Closet & Starfish Village/First Congregational Church: Essentials Closet offers essential items to anyone in need in the greater Waterville area. Starfish Village helps homeless families and individuals with needs not met by other services. Amount awarded: $2,850.
• Palmyra Baptist Worship Food Bank/Soup Kitchen: Purchase of commercial stove to continue food provision to multiple community residents. Amount awarded: $1,000.
• Oakland Food Pantry: Serves residents of Oakland. No person in need of food turned away. Amount awarded: $1,384.
• Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter: Offers bed nights and essential items to vulnerable and low-wealth Mainers in need of shelter. Amount awarded: $2,000.
• Interfaith Resource Fund: Meets emergency needs of residents of Waterville and Winslow for housing, food, and other essentials. Amount awarded: $2,000.
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Waterville: Provisions of all day care, meals, snacks and weekend meal backpacks for area youth throughout Kennebec County. Amount awarded: $2,850.
• Northern Light Health: Provision of food and essential items through Women’s Health. Planning expansion of services. Amount awarded: $1,500.

For more information about Waterville Rotary and its programs, visit the website at http://www.watervillerotary.com.