This season Highland Green residents have once again broken their own record by raising $8,087 during their annual Thanksgiving Fund Drive for the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program (MCHPP). The participation rate was over 50% among the 171 current households here, reinforcing the fact that Highland Green inhabitants pride themselves on giving back to and being part of the greater community, and not apart from it.
The MCHPP is a non-profit organization that “provides hungry people with access to healthy food, works to improve the quality of their lives by partnering with others, and serves them in a manner that recognizes their dignity.” It provides food assistance to over 1,200 families in need each year through a Food Bank and a Soup Kitchen. It is supported by 250 dedicated volunteers, a large number of which are Highland Green residents.
The Highland Green Fund Drive began over a decade ago when a group of residents joined to fill two MCHPP food baskets. Later on it was determined that cash donations serve the Program even better, with every dollar donated representing over eight dollars of purchasing power.
The Drive has been organized the previous several years by Ann Marden who moved to Highland Green from Indiana in 2005. This year Ann started the process of handing the reins to Andy Masland and Dave Mosley from New Hampshire, whose new Highland Green home will be complete in December.
Highland Green has contributed to MCHPP in additional ways. Produce from the Highland Green Community Garden is sold with proceeds going to the Program. Also, Highland Green Cartoon Posters are free while they last, but there is a suggested donation of five dollars which goes to MCHPP.
