LAKE CITY — Lake Metropolis Evangelical Presbyterian Church’s Good Neighbor Meals Pantry is beginning 2024 with a bang.
The meals pantry obtained a examine for $5,044.57 from Forest Space Federal Credit score Union on the church on Tuesday. Good Neighbor Meals Pantry Web site Director Mike Klein stated the donation will assist the meals pantry buy 4 months’ price of meals for its shoppers.
“We’re very grateful for the group help as a result of all of our funding comes from donations or some grants that we will get,” Klein stated.
“We’re very impressed and blessed by the generosity of the Lake Metropolis group and particularly companies like Forest Space Credit score Union,” added Lake Metropolis Evangelical Presbyterian Church Pastor Gregory DuBois.
Forest Space Federal Credit score Union Department Supervisor Stacy Karll-Linder stated the credit score union has labored with the meals pantry for the previous three years. She stated they settle for donations from the group throughout December and match them as much as $2,500.
“Any time we may help the group in any method we will, it is very nice as a result of I dwell right here too, so you possibly can see the affect it has,” Karll-Linder stated.
“Quite a lot of the folks that possibly even come to the meals pantry are additionally members of ours, so it is good to know that we’re serving to not solely our members however the group at massive.”
The donation comes at a time when the meals pantry is experiencing elevated visitors. Klein stated they’ve reached a few of their highest numbers because the pandemic.
In two of the final three months, he stated, they’ve served between 150 and 160 individuals per distribution. The meals pantry distributes meals on the primary and third Thursday of every month.
The meals pantry can also be spending extra money to buy meals. Klein stated a 12 months in the past they spent $1,000 a month. Now that complete is between $1,200 and $1,300.
On the meals distribution bins, Klein stated they provide objects like pancake combine, cereal, canned meals, applesauce and crackers. Additionally they handed out two objects of meat.
The meals pantry is now shifting its focus towards in search of volunteers. Klein stated a lot of her volunteers left the realm over the winter or are sick.
These considering volunteering or donating to the meals pantry can contact Lake Metropolis Evangelical Presbyterian Church at (231) 839-2948.