Food AND Medicine, EMLC & Unions Provide Meals to Frontline Workers

On February 18th, Jack McKay, President of the Eastern Maine Labor Council and Senator Troy Jackson, a special projects organizer for Food AND Medicine (FAM), delivered lunch to AFT Local 5093 at the Bangor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the AFT Local 6071 at the City of Bangor Fleet Maintenance group. The lunches provided for this event were purchased from Kebab Den in Bangor.

On March 18th, FAM delivered 50 meals from Humble Comfort Foods restaurant in Brewer to ATU 714 Bangor bus drivers and the AFT 6071 Fleet Maintenance group.  

Since the pandemic began, FAM has worked in collaboration with local restaurants to bring lunches/dinners to union members primarily in the Bangor region, but also throughout the state of Maine. This effort is part of Food AND Medicine’s (FAM’s) Covid Solidarity program which has thus far provided 2,613 individually prepared meals purchased from 16 restaurants in the Bangor region.   

“This effort started when union members began donating their Covid stimulus checks to us early in the pandemic," said FAM Director Jack McKay. "We use the organizing approach of Solidarity Harvest to support local restaurants, which in turn support front line workers.” McKay notes, “this whole effort only happens through unions, as unions are able to deliver to workers.” 

FAM has also received project funding from a number of foundations. McKay said that FAM has paid local restaurants $23,599.45 thus far, which has "really aided the restaurants during the hard times of the pandemic. FAM is planning on providing more meals to front line workers in the coming months. 

If you would like more information about this project, or to contribute to this effort, please go to www.foodandmedicine.org or call Jack McKay at 207-949-0708.