Thanksgiving is a holiday that is usually celebrated by eating a large meal. For Mainers who are food insecure, Thanksgiving is an especially stressful time.

To help make the holiday brighter for local families, Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger partnered with two local radio stations to lend a hand. On November 25, the Campaign joined Hot 104.7 Maine at the Wells IGA to distribute 100 free turkeys to those in need in the community.

“It took us about two hours to hand out all of our turkeys,” said Jen Burke, League Public Affairs and Communications Manager. “We gave a turkey to any person who said they would like one with no questions asked. All of the recipients were deeply appreciative. Some said they couldn’t believe we were doing this for free!”

On November 27, the Campaign joined Rewind 100.9 at its 14th annual Stuff the Bus food drive to support Preble Street, a Portland-area nonprofit that serves more than 630,000 meals per year to local families in need.

“Maine credit unions and their members have been dedicated to combating hunger across the state for 29 years,” said Tim Brooks, League Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications. “The work Rewind 100.9 is doing for the Preble Street Resource Center is critical, and our network is proud to support their efforts.”

As part of our credit union People Helping People philosophy, Maine credit unions work hard all year long to ensure people in their communities have access to healthy meals.