ISHPEMING Mich. (WZMQ) – St. Vincent’s De Paul in Ishpeming is in need of donations for their pantry.
St. Vincent’s serves many families in their community, whether that’s providing them with clothes from the thrifting section, or helping families have food for a meal with their pantry; St. Vincent’s makes a difference.
The food pantry already has 98 families signed up for food support in July, but pantry shelves are looking pretty scarce.
“Over the past year, we have seen a huge increase in the need in our community,” says Lisa Niemi, president at St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry Conference of Ishpeming. “Whereas we used to serve 62 families per month on average, we’re up this year to almost 100 families a month.”
There are many ways to donate to the panty, food donation, clothes donation, and monetary donations. Receiving donations from the public is one major way the food pantry can stay supplied to serve families in need.
Food donations, are the most direct way to get food on the shelf at St. Vincent’s. Some helpful items the pantry can receive include juice, canned fruit and veggies, canned meat, pork and beans, pasta/ past sauce, sloppy joe mix, cereal, pancake mix/ syrup, rice, crackers, condiment’s, PB&J, toilet paper, paper towel, detergent, cleaning products, and personal care items.
A couple other ways to donate to the pantry is by monetary donations, and donating to the St. Vincent Thrift Store. Both of these forms of donating give the pantry money, receiving money directly gives the pantry the ability to buy specific things they may need at the time.
Something the pantry can buy with monetary donations or money from their thrift store is frozen foods, which are not excepted from outside donations.
“Usually we have four going, we only have one going at this time,” says Mary Loy, Vice President at St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry Conference of Ishpeming. “We only have hot dogs right now to give out. And you know for a family, especially one with a couple of kids, you need more than just hot dogs to supplement their growing bodies.”
Shelves at the food pantry are looking extra bare at this time, with only one can of fruit left, a single freezer, and a scarce amount of other goods, the pantry is in need of community support.
St. Vincent De Paul Pantry of Ishpeming’s is located on 322 Cleveland Ave, Ishpeming, MI 49849. The pantry door is located on the back side of the thrift store and is labeled with a sign that says Friends In Need. The pantry is open for donations, Monday’s 1-3 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Shop of Ishpeming will also be accepting donations at their storefront. A cart will be in the front entry of the store open for food pantry donations Monday – Friday, 10 a.m.- 4:45 p.m.
