Freeport Community Services launches campaign to expand thrift shop, food pantry
The Freeport Community Services thrift shop, which funds many of the services the organization provides to Freeport and Pownal residents, including heating assistance. (Katie Langley/Staff Writer)
FREEPORT — Freeport Community Services is looking to raise $3.5 million to expand its food pantry and thrift shop, which funds essential programs for Freeport and Pownal residents.
The expansion push comes as FCS works to accommodate greater needs in the community, staff said. In addition to the food pantry, the Community Center offers home heating assistance, support for families in need during the holidays and age-friendly groups and classes.
The Community Center’s current footprint is ill-suited for the number of people it serves, said Jennifer Hazard, FCS communications and engagement director. The food pantry is located in four rooms of a former historic home, meaning that only a few clients can shop at a time while others wait.
Another issue is that donations — which can include heavy furniture — come into the thrift shop on one side of the building, and have to be moved to the opposite side to be sold.
The expansion, set to break ground in 2027, will open up the food pantry to accommodate more visitors and include an activity area where children can play while parents shop.
Freeport Community Services plans to expand its food pantry so more clients can browse at once. (Katie Langley/Staff Writer)
The thrift shop also will be expanded to accommodate shopping, donation drop-offs and processing all on one side of the center, said Liza Moore, who chairs the FCS capital campaign committee.
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“Together, these changes will create a more welcoming, accessible, and connected Community Center for everyone. We could not be more excited for what is to come,” FCS Executive Director Sarah Lundin said in a prepared statement.
The organization reached about 80% of its goal before going public with the fundraising campaign last week, Moore said.
Faced with rising heating costs just before winter, things “couldn’t be harder” for Freeport and Pownal families trying to keep up with the cost of living, Moore said Monday.
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In the past fiscal year, FCS assisted more than 240 people with heating needs, a 15% increase from the previous year.
Use of the food pantry has almost doubled in the past decade, according to FCS. Last year, the pantry served more than 850 people. The organization also coordinates meals and snacks for hundreds of kids throughout the school year and summer break.
“The needs of our communities, especially for food and fuel assistance, are increasing at an alarming rate each year. Now is the right time to add the resources to meet these needs,” FCS board President Gary Goodrich said in a prepared statement.
FCS has contracted with Freeport-based Zachau Construction to renovate the Community Center. The center will remain open during construction, Hazard said.
Coming up this holiday season, FCS will serve and deliver free Thanksgiving meals and coordinate gifts for families in need through its holiday helpline program. More information on the expansion campaign and FCS programs, including holiday support, is available at fcsmaine.org.
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Katie covers Brunswick, Bath and Freeport for the Times Record. She was previously the weekend reporter at the Portland Press Herald and is originally from the Hudson Valley region of upstate New York. More by Katie Langley
