Camden — A report made public last September from the United States Department of Agriculture highlights the growing crisis of hunger in Maine.

According to the study approximately 200,000 Maine residents are food insecure. A person is considered food insecure if they lack access to enough food to ensure adequate nutrition. The statistics concerning hunger among children is even more alarming with 23 percent of children, nearly one in four, not knowing when their next meal will come or if it will be enough to satisfy their hunger.

Area Interfaith Outreach is a volunteer organization of Midcoast communities of faith and local community members dedicated to providing assistance to  neighbors in need. Providing food from their collective food pantry, emergency assistance and referrals to social service agencies, AIO offers assistance in the spirit of equality, compassion and good will, believing all people have inherent worth and dignity regardless of their life situations.

To assist the AIO Food Pantry and their mission, Graffam Bros. Harborside Restaurant has arranged for Tuesday, March 12 to be their Community Connections night. On Tuesday, from 5 to 9 p.m., the Graffam family will donate half of whatever restaurant patrons spend on dinner to help them continue their work to care for neighbors in need.

Anyone wishing to support the AIO Food Pantry is invited to simply eat dinner at Harborside on that day. Graffam Bros. Harborside Restaurant is located off the Camden Public Landing parking lot on the ground floor of the Grand Harbor Inn building in Camden. Representatives from AIO will be on hand at the restaurant all evening to answer questions about their organization.