Local food pantries notice an increase in need, appeal for donations

Noah Johnson Daily Press Bay College Dean of Student Success Amy Gibbs checks the Bay food pantry for items that need to be restocked.

ESCANABA – Local food pantries need donations as demand increases.

Food pantries in the area are generally seeing an increase in demand for services, including Bay College, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul and the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Escanaba.

Each pantry partners with other organizations, vendors and stores to obtain food, donations and other supplies, including Aldi, Walmart, Meijer, Elmers, Gordon Food Service, Feeding America and more. Local individuals, clubs, churches and other groups support the pantries through monetary and in-kind donations.

The Bay Pantry began in 2017 and was founded by a student who observed her classmates not having enough money for food.

“They were hungry, and their hunger was affecting their ability to succeed in school.” said Bay College Dean of Student Success Amy Gibbs.

Thanks to student observations and subsequent initiatives, Bay now has a pantry for every student in need of food, hygiene products and other supplies.

Gibbs spoke about the importance of the pantry, saying that a hungry body can impact brain function, which is not an ideal situation for a college student.

“If you’ve ever gone out without lunch and someone comes in with a slice of pizza, like it’s really hard to concentrate.” Gibbs said.

Demand for the Bay pantry continues to grow, more than doubling the number of food items distributed from 6,745 in 2022-2023 to 13,777 in 2023-2024.

“I believe we continue to see an increase in demand for food, especially as prices have increased in recent years,” he added. Gibbs said.

Bay currently provides a food pantry for students in need of food and other supplies at both the Escanaba and Iron Mountain campuses.

Bay’s Pantry is currently in need of non-perishable and non-perishable food items such as canned fruit, canned vegetables, pasta sauce, cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter, hygiene products and more.

The Escanaba Pantry is located in the Student Success Center building, room 532, between the bookstore and the cafeteria. The Escanaba Pantry is open Monday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. For more information, call 906-217-4014 or [email protected].

Those interested in donating can contact Gibbs in Escanaba at 906-217-4014 or [email protected]. For Iron Mountain, contact Chris Wenzel at 906-302-3006 or [email protected]

Saint Vincent de Paul is in the same boat as Bay as it sees an increase in requests for services.

“It seems that people with their incomes have less ability to support their families,” he added. said Barb VanErman, St. Peter’s food pantry manager. Vincent de Paul.

Many families, lonely and homeless people use the pantry.

“The demand is much higher than it was a year ago because of inflation, and they get less on food stamps,” he added. VanErman explained.

While it has certainly been a challenge, VanErman says nonprofits, retailers, food pantries and other organizations are all working together to help the community.

“We are very fortunate to serve in a great community, and it is made great by the people who help our various organizations.” she said.

“We all work together.”

Saint’s Pantry Vincent de Paul is currently in need of canned goods, crackers, pasta, macaroni and cheese, rice, personal care items and more. The center is located at 115 North 8th Street and is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. For more information, call the center at 906-789-1434.

The food pantry at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Escanaba has been in operation for approximately 20 years and continues to grow.

Seventh-day Adventist Community Services Director Deborah LaMarch said the church always strives to help the community, primarily through the food pantry.

“We try to provide according to their needs.” LaMarch said.

Like Bay and St. Vincent, on the Seventh Day there is an increase in the number of people needing help.

“I would say it (has increased) over the last few months. “I’m looking at growing another 30 to 50 families a month.” LaMarch said.

As the pantry grew, so did the services it offered.

“There are so many things we do.” said Seventh Day Pantry Director Robin Wyckoff.

In addition to food, the pantry distributes personal hygiene items, sleeping bags, gloves and hats when available.

In September alone, the pantry served 600 households, including 346 children, 564 seniors and 94 veterans, for a total of 1,466 people served by just one pantry.

“The number of families and people is growing every month. ¬†We also see an increase in the number of homeless people visiting us,” LaMarch said.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church pantry needs all non-perishable food items, including canned goods, cereals, dry goods, pasta, rice, toiletries, personal care items and more. The pantry is located at 210 South Lincoln Road and is open on Mondays and Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, she can be contacted through her Facebook page or by calling the church office at 906-786-0887 or eskysda@gmail. comm.

Like its counterparts, the Salvation Army pantry asks the community for help in the form of donations.

“It seems like new customers are coming in every month, and especially now that it’s getting a little cooler outside, that demand is definitely increasing.” said Salvation Army case manager Jamie Ray.

She said the pantry currently serves about 200 families a month, including families, singles and seniors.

“We definitely see a wide range of people coming in and using the service.” Ray explained.

The Salvation Army pantry needs every non-perishable food item, including canned goods, cereals, dry goods, pasta, rice and more. The pantry is located at 3001 5th Avenue South in Escanaba. On the same days it is open from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Donations can be brought to the Service Center from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Before donating, check expiration dates, as some pantries do not accept expired products, even if they are still suitable for consumption.

We accept food, personal care and monetary donations at each pantry. However, those wishing to donate should contact the appropriate pantry to coordinate large donations or donations that must be refrigerated or frozen.

Many pantries are now equipped with refrigerators and freezers to accept donations such as eggs, vegetables, milk and other items.

Representatives from each pantry said they recognize the importance of community. They expressed gratitude for the public’s continued support in the fight against hunger, security and sustainable development in the community.

As VanErman said: “People in need should know that they can be taken care of.”