Tom Waddell, president of the Maine Chapter of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, recently donated $1,000 to Rayna Leibowitz and Dian White, co-directors of the Litchfield Food Bank.

Present for the occasion were volunteers Ginnie Barrett and David Gagne, Tom Waddell, Rayna Leibowitz, Sandi Jones, and Dian White and Pastor Peter Barrett of the Litchfield Plains Baptist Church, according to a news release from the foundation.

The Litchfield Food Bank, a mission of the Litchfield Plains Baptist Church, works to meet the food insecurity or residents of Litchfield. It opened in March 2019 and is housed in a location donated by Ricky Gowell at 491 Richmond Road.

The food bank also has become a place where newfound friends gather several hours before the food bank opens. New, handmade benches were built by David Gardner and donated to the food fank.These benches invite customers to sit and enjoy the camaraderie of the community. Conversations are varied but they often turn to sharing recipes and tips on how to make the food budget go a little further.

Volunteers stock shelves, repackage bulk food supplies into family size portions, help customers fill their baskets and load food into their cars.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national organization with 35,000 members based in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Maine Chapter with 120 members works to protect everyone’s religious beliefs by defending the separation of church and state.