Bangor Savings Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive contributes over 100 jars to D-F Kiwanis for children’s backpack program

DOVER-FOXCROFT — During the month of May Bangor Savings Bank asked its customers and the community to contribute to the annual Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive. Launched in 2012, the endeavor collects jars of high-protein peanut butter — an item often in short supply and high demand that can be expensive for food banks to purchase in large quantities — and accompanying containers of jelly to be distributed to local food pantries and statewide hunger relief programs.

Each of the near 60 Bangor Savings Bank branch locations served as a Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive drop-off site, including the Dover-Foxcroft and Greenville banks. A total of 118 jars, such as creamy and crunchy peanut butter and grape and strawberry jelly, were gathered in Dover-Foxcroft and these were given to several members of the Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis Club on the morning of June 21.

The sandwich contents will be distributed to students through the Kiwanis’ backpack program at the SeDoMoCha School. Through a partnership between several area businesses and organizations, the backpack program enables the young recipients to bring home backpacks full of non-perishable items across the school year and summer.

Bangor Savings Bank Assistant Vice President and Dover-Foxcroft and Greenville Branch Manager Marilyn Hartford said this year’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive collected over 12,000 jars throughout the state. “The majority of it goes to food cupboards and this year we are donating to the Kiwanis backpack program because they certainly have a need,” Hartford — who is president-elect of the Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis — said.

“I’m a Kiwanian so I thought we would take turns alternating,” she said, as a year ago the Dover-Foxcroft collection went to the Dover-Foxcroft Area Food Cupboard and the Partnership Food Pantry in Guilford.

Hartford said the Greenville branch donations will be given to the Partnership Food Pantry to help the organization continue to serve Moosehead Lake area residents in need.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
BANGOR SAVINGS PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY DRIVE — Over 100 jars of peanut butter and jelly were given to the Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis Club for the organization’s backpack program at the SeDoMoCha School by staff at the Dover-Foxcroft Bangor Savings Bank branch on June 21. In May Bangor Savings Bank branches collected jars of the sandwich contents from customers and the community through the annual Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive to then be distributed to food pantries and hunger relief programs. Pictured are, from left, Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis President Brian Woodworth, Assistant Secretary Lynette Rayfield, Lilly Weatherbee of Bangor Savings Bank, Bangor Savings Bank Assistant Vice President and Dover-Foxcroft and Greenville Branch Manager Marilyn Hartford (who is also the Kiwanis club president-elect) and Kiwanians Rita Page and Darlene Emery.