The Machias Food Pantry is located in Machias, Maine in Washington County.  Our mission is to provide good, healthy food for those in need in our community.  We have been an organized group for over 8 years, but until recently have had a small group of 10 volunteers.  We now have 37 volunteers, 25 active year-round, the remaining work in the pantry when they've returned to Maine for the summer.  We're averaging 10 new families a month and now serve 375 families.  Washington county is the poorest county in Maine and is home to 5 of the10 poorest towns in the state.  We strive to help hungry people in our community feed their families through donations, produce from gardens at local schools, farm share programs and personal gardens. We also support Mano en Mano, a Maine organization that advocates for, and supports immigrants and farm laborers. We host an annual welcome to seasonal laborers, providing them with a hot meal; necessary warm working clothes, and provide access to staff from local resource and legal agencies.  We are also members of the Washington County Pantry Network, and a year-long Community Driven Strategy working group, sponsored by our state-wide food bank, to define strategy's to help eliminate food insecurity in our county.