Representatives of St. Mary’s Food Pantry recently presented an award to Sam’s Italian Foods of 963 Sabattus Street in Lewiston for the store’s outstanding effort in raising money to end hunger in Maine. In addition to a plaque for display, employees were awarded free movie passes and popcorn generously donated by Flagship Cinema of Auburn and free bowling donated by Sparetime Recreation of Lewiston.  

Every fall, St. Mary’s and Sam’s locations statewide partner in a campaign to sell “cornucopias” to customers for $1 each, with proceeds to benefit local food pantries. The campaign is also a competition among the 13 Sam’s locations to see which store raises the most funds. Statewide, Sam’s stores raised $4,946 for hunger relief. Sam’s location on Sabattus Street in Lewiston won the competition by raising $1,150. 

In 2018, St. Mary’s Food Pantry provided food for an average of 1,180 people per week, a level that has held steady since the beginning of 2017. The Pantry provides quality food to those who visit, distributing nearly 400,000 pounds of fresh produce, eggs, and milk, in addition to shelf stable items, in 2018.

In addition to its Food Pantry, St. Mary’s Nutrition Center offers cooking, nutrition, and garden education programs for people of all ages, job training programs for teens, and community gardens in Lewiston and Auburn. It also manages the year-round Lewiston Farmers’ Market and Good Food Bus. For more information, see www.stmarysnutritioncenter.org.