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Maine Food Bank Gets $1 Million to Boost Fresh Produce Distribution

AUBURN, Maine - The state's largest hunger relief organization has received a $1 million grant from the Next Generation Foundation of Maine. The grant will help the Good Shepherd Food Bank increase the storage and distribution of fresh produce at its Auburn distribution center.

Good Shepherd spokesperson Clara Whitney says the organization plans to construct a 115,000-cubic-foot produce storage facility that includes multiple zones with varying temperatures and humidity levels.

"Good Shepherd Food Bank has found that we are distributing much more fresh produce and perishable foods than we ever have in the past," Whitney says, "which is exciting for our organization because, often times, those foods are the most nutritious items."

Whitney says plans are to complete the cold storage facility upgrades by the end of 2015.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.