LIBERTY — As part of its efforts to help those experiencing food insecurity, MaineHealth Waldo Hospital has added a new self-service pantry shelf in its MaineHealth Primary Care Family Medicine Liberty location, formerly the Donald Walker Health Center, located at 43 W Main St. in Liberty. 

“We are excited to add a fifth Help Yourself Shelf in Waldo County,” said Community Health Program Manager Deidre Dority, in a news release.

Dority oversees the hospital’s food access program.

“This new location brings nutritious food closer to even more people in our community, expanding support for our patients and neighbors,” she said. 

Other Waldo County shelves can be found at MaineHealth Primary & Walk-in Care Belfast, located within the Biscone Medical Building at 119 Northport Avenue in Belfast; outside MaineHealth Access to Care Belfast, on the first floor at 125 Northport Ave. in Belfast; at MaineHealth Primary Care Family Medicine Lincolnville, located at 2399 Atlantic Highway in Lincolnville; and within the MHWH Cancer Care practice, on the ground floor of the Ludwig Medical Building, 116 Northport Ave., in Belfast. 

In early 2023, Belfast Soup Kitchen began supplying all the shelf-stable food items needed for the hospital’s pantry shelves. Since then, more than 23,000 pounds have food have been distributed through the shelves, which are all conspicuously placed in high-traffic areas and everyone is welcome to take items from them. 

MHWH set up its first food pantry shelves in 2022 thanks to grant funding from the Good Shephard Food Bank. The partnership with Belfast Soup Kitchen has ensured the shelves remained stocked and enabled the program to grow from two shelves to five.  

Dority's team weighs food deliveries when they arrive to track and measure the reach of their food security work. They also weigh the food delivered to each individual shelf, which helps illustrate where the greatest needs are and allows the team to respond with additional resources. 

“We’re grateful to our community partners who have made it possible to provide this food assistance to our patients and community members,” said Jemma Penberthy, director of Community Health for MHWH and MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport. 

About MaineHealth

MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include Maine General Health in Augusta and Waterville and St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.