A hunger to help: Community Gourmet founders honored with 'Point of Light' award

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — The Community Gourmet has been making big strides since it began earlier this year – and now has picked up a prestigious award along the way.

The nonprofit organization, operated by Traci Anello, of Kennebunk, and Debbie Hall, of Arundel, received the Daily Point of Light Award on Tuesday, Sept. 13, in recognition of their ongoing efforts to help the hungry in York County and beyond.

Instituted and inspired by the late President George H. W. Bush, Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to “take action that changes the world.”

“We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies,” the organization stated in a news release.

According to Points of Light, Bush was the first president in American history to institute a daily presidential recognition program from the White House. He conferred 1,020 Daily Point of Light Awards on citizens and organizations, and Points of Light has continued that mission, with more than 7,000 honorees to date.

Previous story: The Community Gourmet is feeding the hungry, one meal kit at a time

“The Daily Point of Light Award recognizes those who saw something they wanted to improve in the world, then, through their time, talent and efforts, began making those improvements,” said Diane Quest, the chief external affairs officer at Points of Light.

Anello and Hall fit that bill.

“We’re pleased to honor Traci Anello and Debbie Hall for their amazing work,” the organization said.

During a recent interview at her home, Hall said she was “blown away” when she learned she and Anello would be receiving the award. Someone had nominated them for the distinction, and then they needed to submit materials to Points of Light for its further consideration.

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Anello said the news was hard to believe at first – the idea that she and Hall, who are new at what they’re doing, would be recognized with an award established by a president and presented to them by Neil Bush, one of his sons.

“What an honor,” she said. “We’re really honored by this.”

Not bad for a local nonprofit that’s not even a year old. Anello and Hall established Community Gourmet in January. Recently, they got their food license from the state and officially became a 501c3 organization.

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The mission of Community Gourmet

The Community Gourmet supplies as many meal kits as it can to those in need but pays particular attention to helping those who may not be eligible or are unable to be assisted by other agencies and organizations. Anello and Hall work with neighboring agencies to help these individuals.

What Anello and Hall do goes beyond the usual assembly of meal boxes. They put together whole kits, complete with nutritious food, yes, but also recipes, cooking supplies, and a personal card from them to those they help.

And the duo, who are friends and colleagues in the medical field, raise funds for kits in a tasty way. They bake cookies – heart-shaped, sugar-sprinkled, fruit-filled shortbread ones are their specialty – and sell them in batches during special occasions, such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and at events throughout the region.

“We’ve definitely made over 3,000 cookies since we started,” Anello said.

The Community Gourmet will host its first-ever tea party fundraiser at The Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. Anyone who is interested in attending can learn more online at Eventbrite.com.

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'Cool growing pains' at Community Gourmet

In the meantime, there is the organization’s search for a larger space – about 500 square feet, to be exact. Currently, Anello and Hall are operating out of their homes. They have volunteers who are “ready to go” and pantries that are “ready for us,” they said, but first more space is needed.

“We have some cool growing pains going on,” Anello said.

Anyone who wishes to volunteer for the organization or wants to alert Anello and Hall to available space, can reach them at the communitygourmet@gmail.com or at (207) 216-7717.

To date, The Community Gourmet has assembled and distributed more than 325 boxes, according to Anello and Hall. And while they primarily are focusing on York County, they definitely want to help as many people beyond as they can.

“That would be fabulous,” Hall said.

These days, Anello and Hall are packing their kits with Ramen noodles and fried rice, with soy sauce and other seasonings to boot.

“You can do anything with it,” Hall said.

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A love and a desire to give back

Hall said she is inspired in her work with The Community Gourmet by a desire to give back to communities. Anello said she is inspired by love, which Hall agreed has been the organization’s driving purpose since the beginning.

There are so many things that a kit from The Community Gourmet can do, according to Anello.

“It can teach,” she said. “It can nourish. It can support. It can hug you, in a way, because we do put our little cards in there.”

And it can be there for people who get turned away for help from other organizations and agencies, Anello added.

“It’s OK,” she said. “We’ve got you. We’re going to help you.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk-based Community Gourmet receives 'Points of Light' Award