Bangor company donates garage door to Partnership Food Pantry

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    GUILFORD — The construction project at the Partnership Food Pantry in Guilford took another giant step on Aug. 30 when employees with Overhead Door of Bangor installed a donated garage door at the site.

    Observer photos/Mike Lange

    OVERHEAD DOOR DONATION — Overhead Door of Bangor donated and installed a garage door at Partnership Food Pantry in Guilford on Aug. 30. Pictured are Micah Kasperzak, wearing a baseball cap, and Mike Carter.

    “Beth White, the daughter of one of our most faithful volunteers Colin Bickford, wrote them a letter and asked them to consider donating a door to us,” said Al Hunt, the food pantry’s coordinator. “They must get hundreds of requests, so we didn’t think anything of it. But they said ‘yes,’ and this will save us at least $1,000.”
    Overhead Door operations manager David McPhail said that the company “feels fortunate to have 33 years of business history serving eastern Maine. Guilford, Sangerville, Dover Foxcroft and the surrounding towns have supported us and we believe that the food pantry project would be a good way to give back to those communities.”
    The pantry is operating at the former Guilford Primary School building where it shares space with a pre-K program and Community Fitness Center. But the organization bought the closed Northwoods convenience store on Route 15 where they hope to relocate someday. Volunteers like Bob Palmer, Bickford — who served as Monson’s fire chief for many years – and Dee Kelley have worked tirelessly to convert the store into a food distribution center for needy families.
    “We’re so happy to have our own building,” Kelly said. “In addition to the food pantry, we also do the Backpack for Kids program at the schools. We’ve already given out 73 to start the school year.” The backpacks are filled with nutritious food and given to youngsters from needy families. “For some, it’s the only decent meal they get all day,” Kelly said.
    Hunt said that Partnership Food  Pantry operates strictly from donations. “Some people think we should have pursued a grant to get a new building,” Hunt said. “But this way, everyone in the community has a stake in the operation. It’s a slow process,  but we’re getting closer and closer.”