Welcome to the AIO Newsletter!

We've launched a monthly email newsletter to share the latest and greatest news with the AIO Community. We welcome your thoughts - please let us know what helpful information you would like us to highlight.

Have you visited the AIO Website lately? It contains a lot of useful information about our three programs:

Now onto the good news...

Food Pantry

The Food Pantry follows a client-choice model where our clients are partnered with a volunteer shopper. Together, they shop our shelves choosing which food items the household would enjoy.

Food Pantry Reminders

Organizing Food. Please help keep alike foods together on the back shelves. Stock any TEFAP /government food on the shelves marked TEFAP only.
UPC Codes. Please be sure to mark through the UPC code on the product packaging before shelving.
Inventory Management. Help keep our shelves full by writing down items on our "What We Need" sheet. Our Pantry Shoppers will then know what to get.
Good Shepherd Delivery. The big truck from Good Shepherd comes on the 1st Thursday of each month at 9:00am - we welcome your help unloading and organizing our delivery.

Email aiofoodpantry@gmail.com if any questions.

Energy Assistance

AIO Energy Assistance provides our clients with a little extra help when household budgets are tight.
Note: We have redesigned the Voucher program

The new program name is Energy Assistance (heating or electricity disconnection prevention)
The program will begin on November 1, 2019, and concludes when the program budget is reached.
Vouchers are issued by appointment only and a specific AIO Energy Assistance application must be completed
One voucher issued per household – either for heating (100 gallons) or for electricity disconnection ($200)
Housing security deposit vouchers will only be issued to the Knox County Homeless Coalition and will be coordinated and managed by the client’s case manager.
More information and updates will be on our website.

Email aioenergyassistance@gmail.com if any questions.

Child Hunger

The AIO Child Hunger Program provides weekend meals and snacks for schoolchildren in Knox County, Lincolnville, and Waldoboro.

AIO is helping to address hunger for more than 300 school children in schools through our Child Hunger Program. Some of the children receive our weekend food bags every Friday and some schools are part of Good Shepherd's new model of using in-school food pantries.

The school year is again underway so our Weekend Backpack Program Assembly has started again - every Thursday morning from ~9:00-10:00am, a group of volunteers meet at the Nativity Lutheran Church on Old Country Road. Come by and join us!

Email aiochildhunger@gmail.com if any questions.

Building the New Food Pantry

Please join us for our Ground Breaking Ceremony on Saturday October 12th at 10:00am at 1A Gordon Drive, Rockland!

Thanks to the input from many of you, our wonderful volunteers, the new food pantry building plans are coming along nicely. On August 6th, we presented our plans to the Rockland Planning Board and the project has been approved!

Construction is going to begin at the end of September. This means we will no longer have access to the new building at 1A Gordon Drive. We will no longer be able to park there; please park at the current building or along the road - please be careful.

Stay tuned for updates on the new building!

Volunteers Needed

It takes a lot of volunteers to run AIO and we are always looking for additional help for specific projects. Please visit our website for more details.

Below are some volunteer roles we are looking to fill:

(*New Role) Energy Assistance Volunteer. We are looking for volunteers to work with clients on the voucher program. Starting after November 1st, the timing will be Mondays 1:00 - 5:00; Tuesday 8:00am - 1:00pm; Thursdays 8:00- 1:00pm at the Food Pantry. Direct client service, computer and phone skills required. Training will be provided.
Community Investors Representative. This volunteer will be our liaison with Community Investors working with clients who might need funding for specific items which AIO does not cover. For example, car repairs, housing, or dental/medical costs. Time commitment varies depending on client applications; can be done from home.
Grant Writer. AIO relies on donations from all sources, including Foundations. We aim to increase our access to funding through additional grants. Hours vary depending on grant applications; can be done from home.

Email aiovolunteer@gmail.com if any questions.

Volunteer for Upcoming Events

LOBSTERPALOOZA- Sunday, October 20 in Rockland
Help greet participants, sell raffle tickets, clear tables, or help sell tickets at this fun event where 15 area chefs provide single serving “tastes” of a special lobster dish to 200 participants. All proceeds benefit AIO! Contact Diann Henderson to volunteer.

PIES ON PARADE- January 24-26, 2020
Over 25 businesses and hundreds of pie-eaters participate in this special and unique event. We'll need help at Friday's Silent Auction, in Camden for Saturday events, or volunteer on Sunday to be AIO's representative at the participating businesses counting heads, collecting forks, and watching everyone go pie crazy! 100% of ticket proceeds benefit AIO! Contact Marty Shaw to volunteer.

For all fundraising events, you can sign up on our website. Click here to go to the volunteer form and then click on Fundraising Events.

Wait! There's More!

If you think AIO is one of Best charitable organizations, would you please vote for us in the Knox County Best of the Best? Vote here. It would mean a lot to us!
Please join us for the United Midcoast Charities Community Event on September 19th. UMC has been very supportive of AIO for many, many years. Tickets on sale on their website. Click here.

Thank you for the time you dedicate in service to our clients and our community!

AIO Food Pantry
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 113, Rockland, ME 04841
Phone:   (207) 596-1043
Email:   email@aiofoodpantry.org

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AIO Food and Energy Assistance · PO Box 113 · Rockland, ME 04841-0113 · USA