Mainebiz Giving Guide

V O L . X X V I N O. X X I I G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 2 0 – 2 0 2 1 6 W hen the shutdown happened, it happened very quickly. One week businesses were open, the next closed. Uncertainty, fear, and apprehension were thick in the air. Nowhere was this more true, perhaps, than for Maine's nonprofit community. Four nonprofits were particularly adept at pivoting during COVID-19. All have come up with creative solutions to continue serving the populations that need them most. It hasn't been easy, but these dedicated organizations filled with caring individuals, are determined to maintain safety nets for their clients during the pandemic. How Good Shepherd raised funds, found scarce supplies and collaborated with others Good Shepherd Food Bank, which is based in Auburn, partners with more than 500 organizations across the state to ensure that hungry Mainers have access to nutritious food. Erin Fogg, vice president of development and commu- nications, noted that during COVID-19, the organization's entire sourcing and distribution model shifted. "About 70% of the food we distrib- ute annually is donated by retailers like Hannaford and Walmart," says Fogg. "As consumers, we all know the challenges retailers were facing during the pandemic and we felt the impact at the food bank." Good Shepherd struggled to find new ways to obtain food. "To make up for backlogs in our donated food supply chain, we shifted to purchasing shelf-stable food by the tractor-trailer load," Fogg says. is was funded by the outpouring of support from Maine residents who all pitched in to help. But a new prob- lem arose: other organizations and retailers were all clamoring for the same food shelf-stable food products. At one point, the shelves at the food bank became so low that it distributed Hannaford gift cards to food pantries throughout the state. e loss of volunteers was another big blow. "We knew we needed to find a way to distribute food safely with mini- mal work for our partners," says Fogg. "ankfully, L.L.Bean came forward and offered to truck food to its fulfill- ment center in Freeport and have its employees pack emergency food boxes." In total, L.L.Bean packed more than 45,000 boxes which were then distributed to food pantries and other partners around the state. "Our COVID-19 response would not have been successful without the help and support of L.L.Bean and its employ- ees," Fogg says. Good Shepherd provided an addi- tional 4 million meals in the fiscal year ended June 30, buying 60% more food than in the previous year. Addition- ally, it granted more than $1 million to food pantries, schools and other non- profit partners during the pandemic. is was possible due to the support of Good Shepherd by individuals, as well as the Harold Alfond Founda- tion, John T. Gorman Foundation, New Balance Foundation and Maine Community Foundation. Likewise, P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y G O O D S H E P H E R D F O O D B A N K Fine Art of the Pivot Nonprofits navigate a new terrain during pandemic B y J o y C h o q u e t t e GIVING GUIDE C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 8 » As consumers, we all know the challenges retailers were facing during the pandemic and we felt the impact at the food bank. — Erin Fogg Good Shepherd Food Bank Good Shepherd Food Bank was one of the first major nonprofits to shift how it does its work, purchasing shelf-stable food literally by the truck load to meet the demand for food.

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