Food pantries at all seven Maine community colleges will receive equipment, storage and food through a $263,830 Hannaford donation announced Oct. 21 at Southern Maine Community College, according to an Oct. 22 college-system release.
The largest allocation, $100,000, goes to York County Community College for equipment and swipe-card access at its main campus and two off-campus centers. Central Maine Community College will receive $39,500, Kennebec Valley $34,900 and Eastern Maine $34,430.
The remaining awards are $29,000 for Washington County, $16,000 for Northern Maine and $10,000 for Southern Maine Community College, according to the system's announcement.
Projects include refrigerators and freezers, shelving, access doors, lockers and other equipment. Some awards also buy food, hygiene products and cleaning supplies. The system says improved storage and access allow pantries to offer a wider range of items.
The Foundation for Maine's Community Colleges reported 3,994 pantry visits statewide last year. That is a count of visits, rather than the number of individual students served.
The announcement does not list opening dates or uniform access hours for the upgraded pantries. Students seeking help should contact their own college about its pantry arrangements. The latest donation brings Hannaford's total support for the colleges to $1.3 million, the system said.