For 35 years now the church has hosted a community food bank in its basement, providing many thousands of meals to the needy of the area over that time. A rather lengthy Falmouth Forecaster news article of 2015 brought some well deserved attention to the food bank, excerpts from which can be read below.
Much of the beauty of this church lies in the craftsmanship and attention to detail which went into its construction. Every aspect of the building has received embellishment and adornment, from the hand carved, multi-paneled entrance doors to the diamond shingling on the spire. Each cornice is dentiled, each door is flanked by pairs of round wooden columns, one plain and the other done in a spiral, with spiraled bars above, while the belfry is, well... look at the pix.
When First Parish Church was established it was the ninth church in the state of Maine, with its first building being erected in 1730. In 1818 a second, larger, church was constructed across the street from this one and served until the construction of the present church in 1868. The design was the work of talented and prolific architect Charles M. Harding. When it was built, the bell was removed from the 1818 church and installed in the belfry. That belfry and steeple are the highest in the Yarmouth area, visible for miles around.
Yarmouth pantry fills a need
this and every season
By Kate Gardner on December 10, 2015
YARMOUTH — In Yarmouth, where the average household income in 2014 was over $114,000, it may seem like there is no need for a food pantry.
The food pantry, located in the basement of the First Parish Congregational Church at 116 Main St., serves Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, Cumberland, Freeport and Pownal. Rowe said 75-80 families come to the pantry each month, and 90 percent are from Yarmouth.
According to an Esri community profile on the town website, there were 2,305 families living in Yarmouth in 2014 and a total population of 8,308.
Of that population, 4.3 percent had a household income of less than $15,000 and 15.4 percent had a household income of over $200,000. The median income was over $75,000.
The pantry is open three times a week: Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, and Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. Rowe said each family is allowed to come once a week and take only what they need. She said the pantry is well-stocked because of the holiday season, but from February to September, there will be much fewer items from which to choose.
The pantry is stocked mostly through donations from businesses and individuals, with some food from Wayside Food Programs in Portland. The Yarmouth Community Garden on East Main Street also donates fresh produce to the pantry, and Hannaford makes donations as well. The pantry uses funds from monetary donations to buy other essentials such as eggs and milk, as well as personal care items.
The pantry is run by about 50 volunteers, including Rowe, who said she puts in about 20 hours a week. The volunteers run the pantry when people shop there, and do other tasks such as picking up donations, unloading and stocking food and other supplies, and shopping for other items that are needed.
The pantry has been located in the church for 35 years; nine years ago, several local pantries consolidated and joined. Rowe said it’s not a church pantry, it’s a community pantry, and it may relocate someday.
From the Falmouth Forecaster