To equal the size of a Mobile Pantry, Lionel’s car would have had to fit 5,000 pounds of food – which equals more than 4,100 meals for neighbors facing hunger. Online research led Lionel to Feeding America West Michigan’s Mobile Food Pantry program, preventing him from having to stock his own car full of food. When he was brainstorming ways his fraternity could serve their community, Lionel remembered his experience in middle school and considered passing out groceries and toiletry items directly from his car – just like Beverly and other church members used to cook meals for neighbors in their homes. He received food – called “gleaners’ bags” – at his middle school, an experience that inspired him to want to give back. Like Beverly, fraternity member Lionel grew up experiencing hunger. This distribution was sponsored by the Grand Rapids chapter of the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi. Pilgrim Rest’s Mobile Pantries are often sponsored by community organizations, like Brown’s Funeral Home located down the street from the church. If there’s extra fruits and vegetables we usually grab those because that’s most important to us.” “I usually grab everything that’s offered. “Having this lowers our bill so we can pay other bills on time,” Sarah said. Before they discovered Mobile Pantries, their grocery bill often exceeded $500 a month – and that was just for basics from budget grocery stores. Like Deandre, Sarah and John see Mobile Food Pantries as a big help: They can pay their bills while still giving their five growing kids healthy options. He makes it out to the Mobile Pantries even though it’s painful to stand in line. Deandre has been living on disability benefits since he broke both of his ankles and parts of his leg a few years ago. Having access to the Mobile Food Pantry gives community members – like Deandre, a 46-year-old grandfather of four – wiggle room in their budget to prioritize other necessities. You all do so much for everybody.’ She had a dollar and said, ‘Can you take this?’”īeverly accepted the dollar, but told the woman to let the church know if she needed anything. “One of the ladies that came, she says, ‘I don’t have anything. She described a recent story that struck her: At each Mobile Food Pantry, around 125 people go through the distribution line, filling their boxes with fresh produce, shelf-stable dry goods, protein and other surplus food donated by local farms, grocery stores and manufacturers.īeverly encounters many clients who want to give back, whether through volunteering or donating. The church began hosting Mobile Pantries as well, soon after they were introduced to the idea more than twelve years ago.Įach month, Pilgrim Rest’s fixed food pantry serves around 70 families facing hunger in their community. Feeding families from their homes wasn’t the easiest set-up, so when Beverly and the church learned about Feeding America West Michigan 30 years ago, they jumped on board and created a fixed food pantry. They began turning their homes into pantries, inviting hungry neighbors to share their food and home-cooked meals. In response, Beverly and others at the church decided they needed to come together to support their neighbors. When community members said they were hungry, Pilgrim Rest’s pastor would dip into his own pockets to help. “I said, ‘I will always do that.’ People were always good to me.”Īs an adult, Beverly began living out her desire to help others. And when they could, her family would bring canned goods to the school. She recalled times when her school’s principal would bring her family of nine a Thanksgiving basket, right to their home. “It was something that was in us, that we learned,” she said. She was influenced by those who helped her, and wanted to do the same. Now, as church employees, she and her husband Tyrone manage both the church’s fixed food pantry, which offers staples whenever a neighbor needs them, and its monthly Mobile Food Pantry.īeverly grew up both giving and receiving food. Ever since she began attending Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church at four years old, Beverly has seen her community come together to support neighbors in need, including her own family.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |