Neighbor’s Cupboard: The Fight Against Food Insecurity in Maine

Mon Oct 20 2025 02:49:04 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In Winterport, Maine, Phylis Allen and her team at Neighbor’s Cupboard navigate rising food insecurity challenges as they serve families in need.

As one of the oldest food pantry directors in Maine, Phylis Allen meticulously tracks prices and inventory to ensure Neighbor's Cupboard serves those in need. Amid increasing food scarcity and reliance on an aging volunteer workforce, Allen’s pantry heroically continues to support 25 to 30 families each week against a backdrop of growing food insecurity in rural Maine.

WINTERPORT, Maine — For 78-year-old Phylis Allen, each day revolves around sourcing affordable food. From Walmart to local grocery stores and Good Shepherd food bank, her mission is to provide for families at Neighbor’s Cupboard, the local food pantry she has directed for 17 years.

Every Monday, Allen scours Madison’s Club for eggs, butter, and cheese, carefully tracking prices in her mind. During a recent trip, she cheered at finding seven dozen eggs for $21, equating to a competitive price of $2.82 per dozen.

Despite her meticulous organization, the pantry director faces a daunting food insecurity crisis in rural Waldo County, where one in seven residents experiences food insecurity, par with state and national averages. Federal cuts to essential programs and decreasing donations only exacerbate the problem, with food banks struggling to meet surging demand.

“I can watch the availability of federal food going down every month,” Allen lamented, navigating a landscape affected by cuts to the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the SNAP benefits crucial for low-income families.

At Neighbor’s Cupboard, a network of passionate volunteers, chiefly retirees, work hard amidst the tightening supply. Allen, with the unwavering support of her aging volunteer team, has kept the pantry's mission alive—providing food bags weekly for local families despite the overwhelming challenges of diminishing resources and volunteer shortages.

As well, Allen fights for access to food for all, vowing to reject policies that limit service to nearby residents only. “We will keep serving everyone,” she asserted, standing firm against Good Shepherd’s new policy to restrict access.

The growing crisis of food insecurity in Maine necessitates fresh solutions, as the reliance on a dwindling volunteer workforce and the aged faces of volunteers becomes apparent. Reports indicate that while Maine boasts one of the highest volunteering rates in the U.S., younger generations are increasingly disengaged from traditional service roles, presenting new challenges for community organizations.

“If our goal is to end hunger in Maine, we can’t do that solely through a charitable food network,” said Anna Korsen, highlighting the urgency of a multi-faceted approach to combat this pressing issue.