Rep. Melanie Sachs - The federal government shutdown has also created significant stress and uncertainty, leaving many of us worried about what the future holds . And it has shed light on a serious issue in our state: food insecurity. Nearly 192,000 Mainers are struggling with food insecurity, including over 50,000 children. Freeport Community Services Food Pantry reports there has been a 173% increase in food pantry visits compared to last year.
It has been heartwarming to see Freeport residents take action on a local level to meet this moment and help our neighbors in need. I was at the South Freeport Congregational Church on Halloween collecting items for the FCS food pantry from trick or treaters, while the Freeport Grange collected donations from those in the downtown areas. Neighborhoods are organizing their own donation drives, and businesses like The Bakeshop and Bow Street Market are stepping up as well...
In the Legislature, we have worked hard to combat hunger, especially among our youngest Mainers. This year, we extended funding for universal breakfast and lunch for all K-12 students in Maine’s public schools. For many kids, these are the only certain meals they’ll receive in a day – and this program has helped to ensure that they don’t have to learn on empty stomachs. But we still have a long way to go to end food insecurity in Maine.
Access to food is a basic need and a fundamental human right. No Mainer should have to wonder where their next meal will come from or have to choose between putting food on the table or paying bills. When we return to the State House in January, I will continue to fight to ensure that every Maine family has the resources they need to not just survive – but thrive.
Press Herald - Two years after Maine’s first Costco opened in Scarborough, a study shows the membership warehouse store is driving nearly 2 million shoppers annually to nearby businesses.
The developers of The Downs, a 577-acre mixed-use community where Costco is located, sought information about the store’s impact on regional commerce as they continue to market available and planned retail space, particularly in the project’s town center...
The numbers were gathered during Costco’s second year at The Downs, from Nov. 1, 2024, through Oct. 31; Costco tallied 1.6 million customer visits during its first year in Maine, from November 2023 through October 2024, the developers said.
Placer.ai found that Costco customers drove an average of 40 minutes from their homes to get to the store, which regularly drew shoppers from as far away as Kittery and Brunswick. They shopped an average of 45 minutes and spent an average of $84 at the warehouse store off Payne Road, the developers said.
Other major retailers that Costco shoppers patronized before or after they visited the store included Homegoods, Marshalls, PetSmart and Lowe’s in the Scarborough Gallery, near The Maine Mall in South Portland.
Closer to The Downs, Costco shoppers also visited Sea Dog Brewing, Portland Pie and Cabela’s at The Gateway Shoppes off Payne Road and Exit 42 of the Maine Turnpike. Other local businesses visited by Costco shoppers included Oak Hill Ace Hardware, Oak Hill Beverage, The Dairy Corner, On the Vine, Len Libby, Dunstan Tap & Table and Flaherty’s Family Farm.
Costco’s perceived boost to local commerce has quelled initial concerns that it would hurt nearby businesses, Bacon said.
Press Herald - MaineHousing announced Friday that it will finance more than 300 new apartments for older adults and families across eight projects ranging from Biddeford to Belfast. Two of the projects — McLain School Housing in Rockland and the second phase of building at the Soleil Apartments in Lewiston — will add a combined 57 units for families. The remaining six projects will be reserved for people 55 and older.