My husband and I regularly volunteer at our local food pantry. We are so angry that Mary Mayhew, commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, has taken it upon herself to deny vulnerable Maine residents access to nourishing foods for infants, young children and their mothers.

The loss of $1.4 million in federal Women, Infants and Children funds because of her insistence on photo identification on EBT cards has caused unnecessary hardship, not only to recipients of WIC, but also to those of us who donate to, volunteer at and support our local food pantries.

Food insecurity is very real in Maine, affecting one in four Maine children. The LePage administration insists on reducing access to nourishing food for qualified recipients. Mary Mayhew should be replaced by someone who actually cares about the people of Maine. Her goal seems to be to punish, humiliate and deprive people of resources they are entitled to, that support the development of proper growth and readiness for school and learning.

Liane Giambalvo

Scarborough