The Boothbay Region Food Pantry, housed at the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor, hosted winners of the Penny Wars on Tuesday. The Penny Wars are held by BRES’s Leaders Organizing Activities for School (LOAFS) throughout fall. Seventh and eighth graders collect spare change to donate to the food pantry. LOAFS counts the change every week.

The class with the highest sum wins an ice cream party and gets to present a check to the food pantry committee at the church.

Teachers Judy Calhoun Dorr, who runs the LOAFS program, and Sarah Gordon, who will take it over next year, brought the Penny Wars victors to the church Tuesday to present the check for $629.85.

Pantry co-president Fleet Davies welcomed the teachers and class giving them a tour of the pantry and the details on how it works. Davies said about 250 families are served every four weeks, but with everyone’s schedules, they open every Friday. Some of the food comes from a drop box outside the pantry, but most comes from large donations by Hannaford’s and the USDA TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program).

Meats are mostly donated, which helps as the cost would be difficult, Davies said. "We’ve only had to go out and buy meat three times this past year,” he said, adding that once every two months, the pantry receives 60 to 100 cases of food from USDA TEFAP.

Qualifications for families in need of help include residency on the Boothbay peninsula; and income level requirements or the use of WIC or SNAP benefits, among other programs, said Davies.

“If we have families that are desperate, that are in an emergency situation – have no food to feed their children … we will actually do a distribution from here during non-pantry hours.”

This occurs about once every month to two months. He said the pantry serves a few families with mobility issues by delivering goods to their doors.

Davies said most food pantries usually put together a box for each family, but this one brings families through to pick what they want or need. The pantry rarely worries about running out in the short term. There is always at least a week or two of overstock to ensure access during and after big storms. “Families are covered as far as we’re concerned."

Dorr asked what people can do to help besides donating money or goods. Davies said a number of upcoming opportunities may coincide with school schedules. Good Shepherd Food Mobiles will arrive in October, November and December to hand out goods. The pantry also plans to provide Thanksgiving and Christmas boxes along with vouchers for turkey, chicken, or ham. The pantry will need people to help buy and transport food, and making and fill the boxes.

After the tour, Dorr, Gordon and the students presented the big check.

“This project is near and dear to our hearts and all of us so love giving back to our town,” Dorr said. “For me, I want kids to understand giving back to their community. That’s probably one of the most important lessons … learning to pay it forward.”