Washington County, Maine – Located an hour inland from the coastal resort area of Bar Harbor, Washington County is a part of Maine few tourists ever see.

• 23.5% of children there live in poverty*
• 30.2% of households had an annual income of less than $15,000 in 1999**
• 85% of the population (25 and older) doesn’t have a college degree**

Many county residents rely on seasonal jobs to get by, but those jobs are harder and harder to come by. Automation has cut blueberry picking jobs from 6-8 weeks in the summer down to just four. Red tide has closed many clam flats, eliminating clamming jobs, and a weakened fishing industry means lobstermen are hiring fewer and fewer workers to help out on their boats.

With fuel costs high, many families make difficult choices between food and a warm house.

Family-to-Family’s partner in Washington County is the Weald Bethel office of the Maine Seacoast Mission, an outreach center and food pantry located in Cherryfield, Maine.

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