It’s a scene Catholic Charities Director of Hunger and Relief Services Dixie Shaw has seen dozens of times now: cars lining up at 6 a.m., law enforcement called in for traffic control, hundreds, even thousands, of people waiting — some for hours — for a 30-pound box of free food.
But there was still a shade of disbelief in Shaw’s voice as she yelled over the sound of volunteers calling to each other and cars pulling through the distribution line at the Madawaska Multi Purpose Center on Wednesday, watching it all unfold again.
“You wouldn’t believe it,” she said.
The Catholic Charities distributions are part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program — an initiative it announced in April to respond to increased food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Without fail, hundreds turn out, pushing distribution times earlier and earlier. Madawaska’s distribution on Wednesday was slated to begin at 9 a.m., but volunteers began unloading the 18-wheeler carrying 1,000 food boxes at 8:30. READ MORE
