The Knox County Food Council is hosting a virtual presentation by Joe Ryan, executive director of Area Interfaith Outreach (AIO) Food and Energy Assistance, on Tuesday, March 14, from 5 to 6 p.m. Ryan will talk about the significant increase in enrollment in all AIO programs, including food pantry visits, energy assistance, Weekend Meals program and Diaper program. He will also share collaboration efforts with other community service groups and agencies. 

Area congregations established AIO in 1990. Known primarily as a food pantry, this organization provides support in Knox County through four core programs – food, energy assistance, diaper assistance, and the Weekend Meals program. Food assistance is provided through the food pantry market and the Weekend Meal Program. The energy assistance program provides heating assistance during the winter months and helps to prevent electricity disconnections in the spring. 

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A with the presenter and an open discussion about lived experience and how it can inform the work of service providers and policy makers. KCFC invites organizations and individuals to engage in a conversation about how they can best work together to highlight the voice of the recipient in their work, separately and collectively. 

All are welcome to attend and may receive the Zoom meeting information by registering online at aldermere.org/kcfc-registration or emailing aldermere@mcht.org. 

For more information about AIO, visit their website at https://www.aiofoodpantry.org. AIO is located at 1A Gordon Drive, Rockland, ME 04841. 

Knox County Food Council is a community-based coalition that formed in 2019 to promote a more resilient food system in Knox County, Maine. The Council hosts public Zoom meetings from 5 to 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. For more information, visit aldermere.org/kcfc.