On Monday, October 2 we held our bi-annual (twice per year) pantry meeting in our warehouse with our 40 partner agencies of soup kitchens, food pantries and other service agencies in Cumberland County. Our pantry meetings are a time for coordinators to gather, share lunch from Leonardo's Pizza, and touch base. We discuss updates, converse about best methods and address any programming questions. Out of the almost 60 people who attended, many are volunteers and we so appreciate their hard work and dedication!A part of what we do here at Wayside is salvage edible food that companies can't sell for cosmetic reasons, packaging imperfections or inventory levels. We also hold and sponsor food drives, as well as administer and distribute for government programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. More than 1 million lbs of food comes into our warehouse annually! Our partners allow us to redirect this food into almost every town throughout Cumberland County.Our guest presenters were:Kayla Blindert – Gleaning Coordinator, Cumberland County Food Security Council and member of the Maine Gleaning NetworkJason Hall – State Director for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and Hunters for the HungryChris Manson – Sourcing Manager for Good Shepard Food Bank