Move Over Food Pantries. Waldo County Has A Sweet Firewood Pantry.

It sounds so simple, I'm surprised there aren't more of them.

Certainly, more than once in our lifetime, we've learned a bit about food pantries. They're integral parts of many communities. The concept is simple enough... families in need can go to a food pantry, and get hooked up with some staples to keep their family going. But heat is a huge problem for a lot of Maine families.

Especially this year. Gas and oil prices are the highest they've ever been, so keeping the family warm is going to be a real challenge for a lot of folks. But over at the Waldo County Woodshed in Searsmont, they've got a way they've been dealing with it. A community woodshed, according to a post from WABI.

The woodshed started because of a UMaine study.

About eight years ago, a UMaine study looked into the usefulness of a community woodshed, much like the way a food pantry works. Eight years later, it seems they've proven there's a great need for it. Folks who roll up for wood in Searsmont, often have stories that soften even the hardest of hearts, concerning their ability to keep their family warm.

And this isn't just in Searsmont. There are nine locations around Waldo County where people can come to get wood. For that matter, it's not just for people in Waldo County. They estimate last year, they helped over 140 families, from five different counties. That's a huge commitment from their volunteers to keep all that moving.

Despite having the biggest budget they've ever had last year, there's always room to donate or help. Or if you need firewood to keep warm this winter, you can contact the Woodshed directly and place an order at WaldoCountyWoodshed.org.

Mainers need all the help they can get, so here's more winter heating tips...