The following account is from a volunteer for the Augusta Food Bank, a United Way partner. Your donations to the United Way of Kennebec Valley’s COVID-19 Response Fund made this story possible.

“I have received many calls from people asking for deliveries of food because they have no means of getting to the Augusta Food Bank (AFB). In normal circumstances, AFB would ask them to do all that they could to find a ride (i.e. case manager, friend, family member) but with this 'new normal,' we at AFB are doing all that we can to reach those that cannot reach us.

I delivered a box of food to a gentleman that normally utilizes a taxi service to get to AFB. He called us three times, asking if we could please bring food to him. I delivered the box of food and when I arrived, he insisted on showing me his refrigerator through the entrance of his apartment. All I saw was a small tub of butter. The fridge was completely bare. He thanked us and I thanked him for calling. I drove away with tears in my eyes, only then realizing how hungry he really had been. Funding provided by the United Way and others allows AFB to make a true difference.”