Started in 2007, when volunteers learned that older adults were sacrificing their Meals on Wheels food for their pets, Furry Friends Food Bank continues to fill a need for low income, older adults and their companions. Furry Friends Food Bank (FFFB) is dedicated to preserving the special bond between people and their pets. FFFB recognizes that the love, support, and companionship pets give is invaluable to mental and physical health, especially true for older, isolated adults.
Furry Friends Food Bank is so much more than a supplemental pet and supplies program. Eastern Area Agency on Aging covers 13,000 square miles in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties, much of it very rural. Staff and volunteers in the FFFB program distribute food each month, alleviating human food insecurity, reducing isolation and loneliness, improving health of humans and their pets, reducing financial stress, improving animal health, and keeping pets in their homes.
Facts
Hunger and isolation jeopardize the health and wellbeing of older adults and strain our country’s healthcare costs and economy. Food-insecure older adults are more likely to develop nutrition related health problems, which is particularly problematic given the unique health, financial, and nutritional challenges that can come with aging. Food insecure older adults are more likely to have chronic health conditions such as: depression (23%), asthma (90%), congestive heart failure (57%), limitations in activity (32%), or high blood pressure (19%) https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/2020-Senior%2...).
Also, older adults need to stay socially connected in order to stay healthy. The pandemic created a necessary and heightened level of isolation and frustration of being socially disconnected for all. A lack of social connection carries a risk to overall health that is comparable, and in many cases exceeds, that of other well-accepted risk factors, including smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day, obesity, physical inactivity, and air pollution (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010).
Maine is the oldest state in the country, demographically. In the four counties served by EAAA – Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock and Washington - 27% of adults are over age 60. (Worldpopulationreview.com)
County Demographics for EAAA Service Area
Hancock County has an area of 1586.89 square miles with a population of 55,478 for 2020. Persons 65 or older is 25.3% (though Meals On Wheels in Maine helps those age 60 or older). Non-age specific poverty is 10.6% (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/hancockcountymaine,US/PST04...).
Penobscot County has a land area of 3397.36 square miles with a 2020 population of 152,199. Persons 65 or older is 19.1%. Non-age specific poverty is 12.4% (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/penobscotcountymaine,US/PST...).
Piscataquis County is the largest county area wise that EAAA serves with 3960.86 square miles with a very rural population of 16,800 according to the 2020 population census. Persons 65 or older is 27.4%, Non-age specific poverty is 16.5% (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/piscataquiscountymaine,US/P...).
Washington County represents 2562.66 square miles of Maine and has a 2020 population of 31,095. Persons 65 or older is 24.8%. Non-age specific poverty is 19.6% (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/washingtoncountymaine,US/PS... ).
Furry Friends Food Bank Details
With a primarily rural service area, Furry Friends Food Bank has grown from a few distribution sites to 34 distribution sites in our 13,000 square mile area. Home delivery has been implemented in some sites to accommodate those pet owners who are homebound or have transportation challenges. In-kind donations are significant whether donated pet food and supplies, fundraisers like the Fill-a-Truck event sponsored by Bangor Police Department and Shaw's, volunteer hours, retail store donations of damaged goods, volunteer commitment, and costs such as occupancy.
Our greatest funding challenge is that staff is needed to promote, market, coordinate, assess applications, communicate with participants and partners (who donate space and food), recruit and retain volunteers, delivery to distribution sites and evaluate program. In November 2021, FFFB has four staff all part time (as they have other hours in different programs). The total hours per week working on FFFB is 52 for the Nutrition Manager (20), Coordinator (23), Administrative Assistant (21), and Coordinator-Washington county (4). This team is amazing and reaches 350 older adults each month, delivering over 12,000 lbs. of pet food and supplies a year!
Furry Friend Food Bank relies on private grant funding and receives no federal or state funding. Our areas of funding needs include:
1. Personnel- it takes just over $1,000. week to staff (not including fringe benefits)
2. Storage Space -FFFB needs storage space for all the generous in-kind donations it receives. Leased climate control space is $2,040. per year for one unit. The Nutrition Manager needs two units. Staff wants to say YES! to inkind donations but needs storage to make this happen.
3. Delivery van- yes, this is a reality. Our fleet has one worthy vehicle and 2 that are questionable. It may sound like pie in the sky, but $50,000 is realistic for our needs in a cargo van and to safely and consistently cover our large region.
In Summary
The Furry Friends Food Bank is a critical program offered by EAAA. Pets provide companionship and a sense of purpose for many older adults, helping older adults to live longer, happier, and less stressful lives. Pets provide that unconditional love and in keeping pets healthy, these human/pet relationships offer so much.
EAAA accepts pet food donations and secures grants from local businesses and funders and provides the pet food to low-income seniors who might otherwise sacrifice their own well-being to provide for their furry friends. Partnerships abound as our staff builds relationships with humane societies, pet kennels, retail stores, municipal and other locations for distributions, volunteers, private funders, and individual donors. This program is amazing and truly is about community collaboration.
Located in Eastern Maine, Furry Friends Food Bank’s primary goal is to keep older adults and their pets together. By offering monthly, supplemental pet food to low-income adults over age 60, the program’s impact is much greater than just providing pet food and supplies. It helps keep pets out of shelters and in their homes with their loved ones. The pets provide support in the form of reducing stress levels, helping combat depression and loneliness, and improving the person's overall well-being by keeping them engaged and active. Low-income older adults in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties of Eastern Maine save an estimated $50/month on pet food and supplies, enabling them to use that money toward heat, medicine, human food, or other basic necessities.
The Furry Friends Food Bank staff are an amazing team, now being honored with mentoring similar pet programs on a national level. While the Program Manager is always busy, she has found time to demonstrate to others the successes and challenges of running a supplemental pet food program for older adults. This could be as simple as showing what the storage shelving looks like or how storage locations vary, it might be sharing the pet health information provided to pet owners or the not so simple funding challenges. Sharing what our team has learned translates to improved pet programs and support of those dedicated to pets and their owners. Our team of staff and volunteers are honored to share what we know about this vital pet program and continue to learn and grow from others. Keeping pets and their low-income older owners together is such rewarding work !
Your consideration of the Furry Friends Food Bank is truly appreciated. Reach out if you have any questions or require any form of documentation. Furry Friends Food Bank is a foundational support for low-income, older adult pet owners and opportunities to partner with others is not only essential but embraced as well. Thank you!
