BRUNSWICK — On Feb. 1, First Parish Church, UCC, kicked off a six-week educational series titled “Windows On … Food” with a tour of Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program.

Executive Director Karen Parker and Program Director Ethan Minton spoke about the organization’s work and answered questions before showing people around the facilities, including dining hall, kitchen, food pantry and food bank.

MCHPP receives thousands of pounds of donated food from local supermarkets, farmers, food drives and individuals each year. Food is then distributed to neighbors in a variety of ways.

The soup kitchen serves a nutritious meal Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and all are welcome. The food pantry is available to qualifying clients, meaning those who fall within income and residency guidelines. Last year, MCHPP served more than 1,200 families from Brunswick, Topsham, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Lisbon, Durham and Harpswell.

According to the presentation, about 10 percent of Brunswick residents used MCHPP services in 2014.

MCHPP also launched an important program to provide weekend food for children who receive free- and reduced-price lunches during school. One in four Maine children, one in seven adults, experiences food insecurity.

Launched in the fall of 2013, the BackPack Program delivers nutritious and easyto prepare food to needy children. The schools discreetly place the food in students’ backpacks on Fridays.

The schedule of foods and snacks is available on the website. The BackPack Program is serving more than 250 children this school year at a cost of $225 per child.

Parker and Minton shared the MCHPP’s mission statement: “to provide hungry people with access to healthy food, work to improve the quality of their lives by partnering with others, and serve them in a manner that recognizes their dignity.”

To improve access, MCHPP is open on Saturdays, expanding pantry hours, growing the BackPack Program, serving lunch longer, and are considering opening the food pantry for evening hours. It is evident from the recent visit that the staff and volunteers of MCHPP truly do recognize their clients’ dignity and act out of a place of respect with everything they do.

Expanding services necessitates more dollars, more volunteers and more space. Please learn more about MCHPP by visiting the website and facilities, joining the 150-plus weekly volunteers, and donate as ability allows.

For information, call 725- 2716, visit www.mchpp.org, and follow them on Facebook. You can also help MCHPP receive a grant by voting for them on the Bangor Savings Bank Community Matters More competition.

The next installment of First Parish Church’s Windows On Food series will be Sunday, Feb. 8, at 11:15 a.m. There will be a panel discussion on “Food Insecurity: Interventions and Outcomes” with state Sen. Justin Alfond; Alex Petroff, founder of Working Villages International; and Alex Wheelwright, regional organizer of Bread for the World.

On Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. there will be informal worship and a potluck supper with invited guest, the Rev. Holly Morrison, who will share thoughts on her life as a pastor and organic farmer.

Both events are at 9 Cleaveland St., upstairs. All are welcome.

For more information, call 729-7331.