St. Ignace Food Pantry Helps Residents Through Community Support, Volunteers
Lindsay Knake
| 3 min read
Lindsay Knake is a brand journalist for Blue Cross B...
Key Takeaways
- The St. Ignace Food Pantry serves about 800 residents of Mackinac County each year, distributing groceries and hygiene products to those in need.
- A grant from the Food Pantry Grant Program provided a refrigeration unit that lets the pantry stock fresh produce, dairy and meat.
- Volunteers and donations from community members and organizations are essential for the St. Ignace Food Pantry to provide support local residents.
The St. Ignace Food Pantry is a reflection of the generosity and collaborative spirit of the Upper Peninsula town where it’s located.
From nutritious food to personal hygiene items, the food pantry provides needed support for residents of Mackinac County who face financial hardship.
“Having healthy food means a healthy life,” said Kathy Perry, president.
The nonprofit pantry serves Mackinac County, which has a population of about 10,800. About 800 people have received food and other items this year on Wednesdays and Thursdays when the pantry is open. In a typical month, the pantry’s volunteers see 25 to 35 households; there is an influx of patrons in December through May.
“We're a very seasonal community,” Perry said. “We're a tourist-based community, so when the tourists leave, all the businesses close down and when the businesses close down, the people don't have jobs.”
The food pantry gives two weeks of food at a time to those who come based on the size of their family. Patrons can receive food three times within a three-month period. Dry goods, canned and fresh food, including vegetables, fruit, eggs, dairy products and meat are available. People can also pick up personal hygiene products such as toothpaste and shampoo.
A community effort
St. Ignace Food Pantry received a refrigeration unit and technical support through the Food Pantry Grant Program in 2022. The Food Pantry Grant Program is a partnership between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Blue Cross Complete of Michigan and the BCBSM Foundation. The refrigerator allows the pantry to keep fresh food for the community.
“It's absolutely wonderful, and it has enabled us to, you know, have milk and have eggs,” she said. “We couldn't afford to go out and buy something like that for ourselves.”
The pantry’s main food source is Feeding America. Local fundraisers and donations through the U.S. Post Office, local businesses and churches and directly from residents also help keep the food pantry stocked. The food pantry has even received a donation from Enbridge of more than 250 pounds of frozen meat purchased from the 4-H livestock group at the county fair.
“All the generosity is unbelievable. We just had our Ford dealership donate a whole car full of food,” she said. “I have found that the community is very, very generous. You know, between the local people, the churches, it's very, very normal to, at least once a month, get a nice check from one of the churches here in town.”
St. Ignace Food Pantry’s existence shows the community’s willingness and dedication to work together, said Joe Thibault, vice president and a member of the board of directors. The food pantry was started by the St. Ignace area churches, combining each of the church’s individual pantries.
Perry, who has been involved with the St. Ignace Food Pantry for about a decade, started as a volunteer. Volunteers are essential for the St. Ignace Food Pantry; they check people in and help families load their vehicles.
“I can't stress enough the volunteers. I could have all the money in the world, and I could have this place, you know, filled to the brim,” Perry said. “But if I don't have anybody here to hand it out, it's not worth anything.”
The community support is personal for Thibault. He recalled a memory of helping a patron load her car with groceries.
“I started putting the groceries in and she says, ‘thank you.’ And I say, ‘oh, you're welcome.’ She says ‘no, look at me. I want you to understand that everybody appreciates what you're doing.’
“That touched me,” he added.
Image: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Related:
