Food pantry seeking non-profit status

OXFORD — The Oxford Helping Hands Food Pantry, which opened its doors a little more than a year ago, is pursuing 501(c)(3) non-profit status, according to Town Manager Michael Chammings.

During the May 17 board of selectmen meeting, Chammings asked the selectmen to consider appointing a governing board to oversee the food pantry.

According to Chammings, the Bernstein and Shur law firm is currently working on certifying the food pantry as a non-profit on a pro-bono basis; but once it is incorporated it will need to have a governing board of at least three people.

The proposed board will need a president, secretary and treasurer, said Chammings, but the members do not necessarily have to be Oxford residents.

Chammings said since the pantry opened it has helped hundreds of people from Oxford and at least eight other surrounding communities.

Tens of thousands of dollars worth of donations have been made to the food bank, and volunteers have put hundreds of hours into organizing the pantry, said Chammings.

The food pantry is currently housed on the second floor of the Oxford town office.

The program has become so large that it needs more than the assistance that town staff have been able to provide over the past year.

"We have ongoing weekly donations from people there ... They are hooked in to the Good Shepard [food bank], they have daily donations from Wal-Mart and there's been food drives," said Chammings.  "It's become quite a complex activity up there."

Town employees are currently helping food pantry volunteers run the operation, a responsibility that Chammings says no one minds taking on.

"It hasn't been that much that we wouldn't want to do it," says Town Clerk Ellen Morrison. "It really does seem to be a community effort, and it's kind of nice that it's here."

The board voted to put out a public request for applications to the proposed governing board.