Newsletters

Summer 2026

About the Store: provisioning and providing

The Island Store is a non-profit cooperative that stays open all year to serve the island community. Mike Delchamp is the store manager, assisted by three dedicated store employees — Tricia Barter, Rachel Clark and Ellen Fedosh — and volunteers who help with unloading and stocking freight. The Store operations and strategic planning are overseen by a volunteer Store Board. The Store only makes a surplus during the busy summer months, such that the net annual surplus over expenses is negligible.

The Store sells groceries and essential items, doing its best to keep freight and other costs at a minimum. It offers the opportunity to call in custom orders and request advance deliveries. The Store provides kerosene for heating homes and gasoline for island vehicles. It is actively involved in the community, supporting local vendors by selling their produce, eggs, baked goods and crafts. The Store also hosts year-round regular gatherings like Tuesday’s Table (in collaboration with the Church), Summer Tuesday Hangouts and the annual July 4th barbecue.

The year in review

The Store made several improvements in 2025. It added a new refrigerator to expand its product lines and made repairs to the freight truck. It will be housing the Island Urgent Care Center in the room facing the street. The Store expanded its arrangements with the Blue Hill Coop as a grocery supplier that offers high quality goods at relatively low markup. It has improved the protocol for delivery of kerosene to ensure safety of homes and environment.

Last year the Store Board made the difficult decision not to install solar panels to reduce its electricity costs. Costs associated with a bridge loan, uncertainty about the federal government’s commitment to reimburse a share of the installation costs, and sensitivity to the loss of revenue to the Power Company all factored into the decision.

The Store’s capacity to keep sufficient funds on hand by the end of winter, always challenging, has been seriously tested this year, due to the cold winter and dramatic increase in fuel costs. The Store is vulnerable to the timing and number of deliveries of kerosene to the island. This year it had to cover at high cost, payable immediately, for an extra March delivery. The Store budget is only now gradually recovering as outstanding invoices are paid. Fortunately, it was able to draw on financial support from the annual town warrant, as well as reserves provided by generous community donations, but it has been tight. In addition to fuel, the Store’s other fixed costs, including freight and electricity, have risen substantially.

In order to better position the Store’s financial situation in the future, the Store Board has moved toward a stricter, pay-as-you-go credit policy. The Store Board has approved a new $100 credit limit to cover situations in which customers find themselves without enough on hand to pay for their purchase. The Store encourages customers to start an account with a positive balance from which they can draw for purchases, and to use cash or check rather than credit card for purchases. It is also encouraging kerosene customers to prepay their anticipated winter fuel costs, if at all possible.

Strategic planning

The Store, which is in the Thorofare floodplain, is taking steps to address vulnerabilities of the building and the aging fuel system to future sea level rise and storm surge. It secured a grant from the Island Institute for an engineering study to help identify options for elevating, strengthening, or relocating existing infrastructure. The Store Board has started a strategic planning group to help it plan effectively for the future.

Friends of the Island Store Foundation

To implement plans to secure its future, the Store has initiated a fundraising campaign. The reserve will provide resources that can be applied to match state infrastructure grants or to the large expenses entailed by resiliency preparation.

To this end, the Store Board is establishing a new Friends of the Island Store charitable foundation, which is expected to be ready to accept tax-deductible donations later this summer. Please contact Doug Evans (douglas.h.evans@icloud.com) for more information about how to contribute.

The outpouring of support for this fundraising has been heartwarming. The Board is very grateful to all who have participated in supporting the Store in so many ways.

What’s happening at the Store

Tuesday Hang-outs. Every other Tuesday at around 6 PM. The Store provides hot dogs and hamburgers. All are welcome.

Fourth of July Barbecue. Starts 11:30 AM after the parade. Hot dogs, hamburgers, side salads, soft drinks and strawberry shortcake, reasonably priced.

The Lunch Pail. Operated by a lifelong island resident, open June through Labor Day weekend, Thursday–Sunday, 11 AM–3 PM. Paninis, baked goods, lemonade, iced tea, and fresh 44 North cold brew. Keep an eye out for pop-up Taco Nights throughout the summer as well.

Store Q&A and fundraising event. Wednesday, August 5 at 4 PM — note the new date. Come with questions and suggestions for the Store, and learn about opportunities to support it. At the Pomeroy-Rykerson house. Check the Store bulletin board for more details.

Summer Store hours

In June, the Store is open Monday–Saturday 12–6 PM and Sunday 11 AM–2 PM. Starting the week of July 4, it is open 10:30 AM–6 PM Monday–Saturday and 11 AM–2 PM Sunday until the end of August. For special orders or to request deliveries, please call the Store at 207-335-5211.

The Island Store Board: let us hear from you

Jeff Runge, President (jeffrey.runge@maine.edu); Doug Evans, Vice-President; Sally Stanbury, Rapporteur; Rachel Harris; Edison Piccone; Wendy Pomeroy; Matthew Skolnikoff; Tim Sawyer; Bob Stifler.