AREA — After a long white winter, the return of spring color is so welcome! The annual Flowers for Food fundraiser will bring thousands of freshly-cut daffodils for everyone’s enjoyment. They will come from local gardens (Gnome Gardens and friends), be cut and prepared by volunteers, and made available on April 22 at Otis Credit Union and, on May 6 — the Friday before Mother’s Day — during business hours. The Berry Fruit Farm will have self-serve during that time, and Food City will also be a site for picking up daffodils.

Traditionally, this has also been done to honor the beloved memory of Marcel Castonguay, who served the community in so many ways and passed away in 2013. Any voluntary donation will be welcome and no set price will be asked. All funds raised will be used to turn “flowers into food,” and given to the local Tri-Town Ministerial Association Food Cupboard.

The location for the Food Cupboard is on the Horan Street entrance to the St. Rose Community Center building next to the St. Rose church. It is handicap accessible. It is open four times during the week — Tuesdays from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2-4 p.m.— and can help provide food relief once a month to registered families and individuals.

To register, proof of residence in Jay, Livermore Falls, or Livermore is needed by bringing along a light bill from place of residence. Kind and helpful volunteers are available to help those who need to receive food supplements for their families. The phone number for the Food Cupboard is 897-2441 and a message can be left when calling between hours.

If anyone needs information about the daffodil fundraiser, please call Martina Eastman at 897-3171. She also would welcome volunteers for the sale sites or daffodils from abundant gardens. She says that the support for the Food Cupboard has always been very generous from our local communities, and looks forward to another successful fundraiser which will bring so much pleasure to both giver and receiver.