Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit Community Meal Program began with a Christmas dinner in 1989 put on by members of the community who were concerned for those in need making it through the holidays. The meal had help at the Riverworks Restaurant on Main Street in Biddeford every Tuesday and Thursday night.

 

In February 1990 Pam and I partnered with Richard Tryon of YC Community Action/Riverworks Restaurant to provide meals to their patrons with dinner every Wednesday with volunteers from the  Rotary Club of Saco Bay including Andy and Pris Baillargeron, Mike Myrick, Curt Scammon, Fran Roy, Al Carignan, Pam and myself to name a few. We were a new club eager for community involvement. Within a year the attendance grew from 25 to 65 dinners four nights a week Monday thru Thursday. Rotary took ownership and was still responsible for Wednesday meals.

 

In September 1991, the program began looking for a new space. St. Andre’s Parish Council graciously offered the former credit union building on High Street as a temporary home for the kitchen and serving patrons in the hall in the basement of the church. In the spring of 1992 I filed and obtained a 501C3 charity classification from the State of Maine. Volunteers from both St Andre's Church and Saco Bay Rotary were increasing in numbers as was the food donations. We soon added a Friday night meal to our offering. This site was used until November 1995 where we then moved to the former Fremont club.