How You Can Help
What should I Give?
This work is made possible by community support, thank you for joining us in serving our neighbors.
Funds
Much of our inventory is purchased wholesale or at subsidized rates from Good Shepherd Food Bank. Through our purchasing channels, your dollar goes a long way to providing food for community members.
How to donate:
ONLINE through our secure website
BY MAIL by sending a check to P.O. Box 434 / Bar Harbor, ME 04609
IN-PERSON at the Pantry or Serendipity during open hours
Food
Community donations bring variety to our shelves and help us stock the pantry with items we aren’t able to source through our purchasing channels.
What to donate:
Consider donating items we are not always able to purchase, such as:
Household cleaners
Coffee and tea
Pet food
Condiments, dressings, and spices
Baking items
Hygiene and personal care items
Gluten-free items
Other non-food items we are happy to receive are egg cartons (to repackage bulk eggs) and reusable grocery bags for customers to use in the pantry.
We cannot accept donations that are expired, opened, or unlabeled
Nobody understands giving quite like a gardener. Whether you have an abundance of zucchini or cucumbers to share or want to intentionally grow for the pantry, we greatly appreciate receiving locally grown produce.
#GrowARow
One of the easiest ways to donate is to simply pick up extra of an item already on your shopping list. If you need it, odds are someone else does too. Drop off in our donation bin at the MDI YWCA, or if your shopping trip coincides with our open hours, swing by the pantry and make our day!
#DuplicateToDonate
Where to donate:
AT THE PANTRY
Located in the basement of the YWCA
Perishable and non-perishable items; please call ahead if you have a large refrigerated/frozen donation so we can ensure we have cold storage space
Donations accepted during business hours. To ensure food safety we cannot accept donations that are left outside
YWCA DONATION BIN
Located by the front door at the YWCA
Non-perishable items only
Accessible during business hours.
Time
Our programs run on volunteer power. Share your time by volunteering at the Bar Harbor Food Pantry or Serendipity Resale Clothing Boutique.
Learn more about volunteer tasks and view open shifts below:
What do volunteers have to say?
Skills
We are always seeking volunteers with expertise that can support our programming. Do you have writing, photography, design, or other talents to share? We’d love to get in touch.
Painting shopping bags with Conners Emerson students
Taste tests and recipe sharing with Maine Cooperative Extension
Trail of Treats with Camp Beech Cliff
Cooking class with SNAP Nutrition-Ed
Stone Soup Storytime and Meal with Jesup Memorial Library
Spread the word
Help us connect with new donors and volunteers. Click the photo below for a PDF flier to share with your church, school, or workplace, and share our social media posts with your followers to increase our reach.
