“Am I worried about Thanksgiving? You betcha. I am still in line to get turkeys. If I don’t get enough turkeys, I’ll have to get chickens. As usual, around Thanksgiving — I am always worried about it until it is over. I’m hoping for the best this year. Our food chain has gone down. Our need has gone up. Stores are not stocking as much as used to. They are keeping food on shelves longer. It is constantly working to get enough food to feed everybody. They all come out of woodwork for Thanksgiving, If I say 700, I have to plan for 800. I don’t want to run short. Is it stressful? I’m always happy when Thanksgiving is over.” — Sandy Swett, Harrison Food Bank Director

By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

On Saturday night, a female musician named Claudia Keller takes front and center with a saxophone solo. Then, during another number, the focus switches to vocalist Janet Gill who croons a song from the depression era.

Toward the back of the Dragon Fly Barn in Bridgton, a few couples are displaying some savvy swing moves. Mostly, people are sitting down and listening to songs that range from the 1920s to the 1950s.

This lively concert was a fundraiser for the Bridgton Food Pantry. By the end of the night, more than $3,500 had been donated to buy food for people who use the pantry.

“Here are people from Bridgton getting off their duff and being creative in order to raise a little money for an extraordinary food panty,” said piano player Paul Dubrule. “We had a lot of fun on a Saturday evening, dancing and singing and so on and so forth.”

Over time, the retired Dubrule and some of his friends and neighbors formed a band called the High Street Jazz Band. Dubrule’s son sits on the board of directors for the Bridgton Food Pantry (BFP). He decided it would be a good idea to organize a fundraiser, play some music, and bring awareness to food insecurity. A second band, Just Be Cause, joined the fundraiser by taking to the stage.

Paul Dubrule had an armload of kudos for the BFP.

“You have basically a little grocery store, and people can get what they need within reason. It’s quite an operation. It is well run. All volunteers. There are so many people who use it. It is really needed in this area,” he said. “I don’t think there are enough people in town who do enough to support this great resource.”

According to BFP board member Peter Dubrule, “About $3,500 raised. There was an excellent response from Bridgton residents. It was a lot of fun.”

The ‘fun’ fundraiser is a response to an ever-growing need to put food on the shelves of the food pantry, he said. There is no such thing as a free lunch — the pantry pays for staple products that it purchases from Good Shepherd Food Bank, Peter Dubrule said.

“We have seen an impressive jump in demand. Just to give you an idea: Compared to this time last year, the number for last month [September] was double,” he said. “The Bridgton Food Pantry is spending $10,000 a month to buy the food that is going out the door.”

Every fundraiser helps, according to BFP Executive Director Penni Robbins.

“We are a donation-only food pantry. Basically, people donating is how we survive,” she said. “This summer, we had a gentleman water ski Long Lake barefoot. He earned $3,828. He does it all the time in Florida. He went from Harrison to Naples and back again. He did 26 miles barefoot.”

Additionally two Bridgton-based churches, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and the First Congregational Church United Church of Christ holds food drives for the pantry.

“We are gearing up for our stuff the truck event. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we do a stuff the truck to get shelf stable items. The truck will be parked at Food City parking lot, where we have been the last four years,” Robbins said. “Parking it there reminds people that we are doing the food drive.”

There are individuals who donate to the pantry every week, while others give a financial gift on a monthly basis, Robbins said.

The need is great, she said.

Harrison Food Bank Director Sandy Swett agreed.

That pantry needs Thanksgiving meal items and it needs more drivers to help deliver weekly food boxes.

“Am I worried about Thanksgiving? You betcha. I am still in line to get turkeys. If I don’t get enough turkeys, I’ll have to get chickens. As usual, around Thanksgiving — I am always worried about it until it is over. I’m hoping for the best this year,” Swett said.

“Our food chain has gone down. Our need has gone up. Stores are not stocking as much as used to. They are keeping food on shelves longer. It is constantly working to get enough food to feed everybody. They all come out of woodwork for Thanksgiving, If I say 700, I have to plan for 800. I don’t want to run short,” she said. “Is it stressful? I’m always happy when Thanksgiving is over.”

The Harrison Food Bank holiday meal list includes: turkeys, chicken, potatoes, squash, canned vegetables, gravy, cranberry sauce and stuffing.

The Casco Village Church Food Pantry has a request for the traditional Thanksgiving fixings, too. That phone number is (207) 831-9091 for people who’d like to donate food or the funds to buy food. 

“The holidays are just around the corner and we anticipate helping 50 to 60 families with their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners,” Vail said. 

Turkey gravy and/or chicken gravy, cranberry sauce and olives can be donated anytime. Meanwhile, turkeys can be donated from now until Nov. 13 since the distribution date is Nov. 16. Turkey weighing 15 pounds are less are preferable, she said.

“If you’re wondering what the pantry might need on a regular basis — tuna, soups and spaghetti,” Vail said.