Jefferson resident Tina White said she thought her newest fundraising idea would be easy to implement.
“I help out at the food bank now and then,” White said Oct. 2. She got some of the big boxes used to collect returnable bottles from Jefferson Redemption and arranged with the Jefferson Village School’s art teacher to have students paint posters to decorate the boxes.
That part was easy, she said. When she started to look for places to put the collection boxes she was surprised to find that was more difficult.
“There are a couple of places that have them,” she said. “The town office refused to let me put one there. They said it would smell.”
White said she offered to pick the box up every week, but was still unable to place it at the town office. She said Peaslee’s Quick Stop on Rt. 17 and Ollie’s Place on Washington Road have taken the boxes. A third one, at Jefferson Market, has disappeared.
There are also two barrels at the transfer station, decorated with posters, where people can drop off their empty returnable bottles. Bottles may also be donated at Jefferson Redemption.
“I’ve been working on it the last couple of weeks,” she said. “Jefferson Redemption gives 6-cents a bottle for donations for the food bank.” She said bottles may be donated at the redemption center at 364 Augusta Rd.
White said food pantries are suffering from a shortage of food this year. Good Shepherd Food Bank, which supplies many local food banks in Maine cannot keep up with demand, she said.
“I’m just trying to help them raise money,” she said. “Donations are down.” She said the local food pantry often has to pay full price at supermarkets and big box food stores. “This is a way for people to donate without taking money out of their pocket.”
White said anyone interested in providing a location for a collection box should call Jefferson Redemption at 549-5047. The Jefferson Food Bank serves Jefferson, Somerville, and North Nobleboro and is located in the basement of the First Baptist Church parsonage at 24 Waldoboro Road.
