CrossWalk Community Outreach began with humble roots, sparked by the heart of a man named Mark Blankenship and a few of his friends. Wanting to connect with the community, they loaded a charcoal grill, some hot dogs, drinks, and a few cans of food into the back of a pickup truck. Their first stop was Route 302 at Causeway Marina's boat storage parking lot, later moving to Naples Village Green park. In the fall of 2008, they asked the Naples town hall for permission to use its building to escape the cold winds and winter storms. Starting with a few loaves of donated bread, some produce, and canned goods, they welcomed about 12 to 15 people, providing a much-needed blessing to those who truly needed it.

 

Since CWCO officially became a non-profit in February 2009, so much has happened in our community, thanks to the love, faithfulness, prayers, volunteering, and financial support poured into this outreach. we’ve been able to keep serving our five area towns—Naples, Sebago, Harrison, Bridgton, and Casco all year long, come rain, sleet, or snow!

 

We currently receive monthly food donations averaging over 15,000 pounds. Since our inception, we’ve been able to serve more than 400 local families, helping them meet their most basic needs—a true privilege and joy. Every time we open our doors, around 80 to 100 families self-shop for meat, bread, fresh produce, and other essentials. Right now, about 40 volunteers assist in Kyrie’s Kitchen with food distribution, setup and cleanup on distribution days, registering new families, offering onsite blood pressure screenings, working in our community gardens, and picking up and transporting both perishable and non-perishable items to our outreach site.

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During the holidays, we get to honor some of our local military families and those in great need by delivering a bit of Christmas cheer right to their door, making their season brighter. We love our veterans, and this is just one of the ways we show them our appreciation throughout the year.

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CWCO maintains ongoing partnerships with local businesses like Weston’s Farm, Hannaford, and Shaw’s of North Windham, as well as state and federal agencies such as United Way, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Bridgton Rotary Club, the LR school district, Naples town hall, and the Greater Lake Region Chamber of Commerce. We’re also proud to be an active partner of Maine VOAD (Maine Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). These are just a few of the collaborations that are essential to making a positive impact in our community. 

 

None of this would have been possible without the first step of one brave man who chose to step out in faith and be a light to his community. He began humbly with a few cans of food, a few loaves of bread, a handful of faithful friends, and a BBQ grill on the back of his truck. From that simple start grew a beautiful blessing for our community. Thank you, Mark B., for having the vision and the courage to bring this outreach to life, now celebrating its 18th year! 

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Federal Non-Discrimination Statement

"In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity."

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