Douglas COA Food Pantry Serves 80 Residents, Tightens Hours Amid Surging Demand

DOUGLAS -- February 11, 2026, Douglas Council on Aging food pantry surges to 80 users as $7,000 donation and tighter hours reshape operations. The Council on Aging board met February 11 and heard director Patrice report that the senior center's informal food pantry, open to any Douglas resident regardless of age, had served 80 people since opening, including 38 in January alone, growing from roughly 20 users in its first month. A New Year's Eve donation of $7,000 from Lifesong Church and a Board of Selectmen-approved reallocation of $1,100 in leftover COVID community outreach funds are bankrolling weekly Hannaford runs that now require two full shopping carts; Hannaford is providing a 5 percent discount on full orders. Citing cases of patrons taking more than their share under the previous open-access model, the director announced a shift to supervised hours of 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, with appointments available. The center's 2025 annual statistics, 134 new seniors, 7,960 visits, 2,572 rides, and 2,513 phone calls, will appear in the March-April newsletter; the director is scheduled to present the FY2027 budget to the Finance Committee on or around March 10, with van-driver hours proposed to increase from 25 to 30 per week.