Ivy Peckham, 9, stands at Hope Haven homeless shelter in Lewiston next to 400 pounds of pork products she recently donated. She caught pigs at scrambles the past few years and raised them at a farm in Hebron. Submitted photo

LEWISTON — Nine-year-old Ivy Peckham caught two pigs at the Oxford County Fair scramble two years ago. The next year she caught three.

She raised them with her father at a small farm in Hebron.

A few weeks ago, the pigs were processed and Peckham brought 400 pounds of pork products to Hope Haven homeless shelter in Lewiston.

Peckham’s father, Chad Fitzherbert, said he and Ivy are in the Lewiston-Auburn area frequently and she has noticed the people outside Hope Haven and wanted to donate some food to the community.

When Fitzherbert posted about his daughter’s donation on the Lewiston community Facebook page, Lewiston Rocks, the post received some 40 comments commending Peckham.

In a letter thanking Peckham, Hope Haven employee Joselyn Griggs said the Lincoln Street shelter is “always mindful of our reliance on the caring support we receive from compassionate and generous people who share our vision of service to the poor and underserved.”

“There is no greater earthly gift than offering help to the broken,” she said, adding that Peckham’s “very kind gesture is significant, and we are grateful you’ve chosen to participate in our mission.”

Hope Haven serves meals and offers walk-in food pantry.

Fitzherbert said they received a tour of the facility when they delivered the meat. The 400 pounds includes sausage, bacon, pork chops, ham and ribs.

It costs about $1 per pound to process the pigs, and Fitzherbert said their last processing resulted in about 800 pounds of meat.

Pig scrambles are often held at agricultural fairs where contestants attempt to catch pigletss in an enclosed ring and get one in a burlap sack.

Fitzherbert said a donation of eggs could be next. Peckham, who attends school in Paris and is going into fourth grade, has 45 chickens and a dozen ducks.

Know someone with a deep well of unlimited public spirit? Someone who gives of their time to make their community a better place? Then nominate them for Kudos. Send their name and the place where they do their good deeds to reporter Andrew Rice at arice@sunjournal.com and we’ll do the rest.

Ivy Peckham, 9, stands at Hope Haven homeless shelter in Lewiston next to 400 pounds of pork products she recently donated. She caught pigs at scrambles the past few years and raised them at a farm in Hebron. Submitted photo