The 14th annual Stuff the Bus Food Drive raised 124,344 pounds of food for Preble Street, which operates three full-time soup kitchens and a food pantry in Portland.
The number is a combination of food and cash donations, as every $1 raised gives Preble Street the buying power of 7 pounds of food.
On Monday and Tuesday, area residents dropped off non-perishable food items at the Maine Mall Hannaford.
The food drive shifted to the Back Cove Hannaford for its final day, Wednesday.
Volunteers on Wednesday received support from a special helper, U.S. Senator Angus King, who helped unload one of the buses at a Preble Street facility.
Students from Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough and Falmouth also made food donations for Preble Street, which serves more than 630,000 meals each year.
Chuck Igo of Rewind 100.9 takes part in the event each year. He says it can sometimes be tough to make ends meet, and that’s where Preble Street comes in.
“When you’re faced with a choice between keeping the lights on and keeping the electric company happy or putting some food on the table, the ability to have a resource like Preble Street with the food pantry and/or kitchens gives the opportunity to get food.”
