Large donations help expand Oceana County food pantry.

April 17, 2020

Large donations help expand Oceana County food pantry.

SHELBY – In early April, a truckload of food from Feeding America was donated to New Hope Community Church Food Pantry by the Oceana County United Way of the Lakeshore. Through this food truck, the food pantry was able to distribute 200 boxes of food to individuals in the community in a single afternoon. Each food truck from Feeding America consists of 10,000 pounds of food, costs $800, and provides food for approximately 250 individuals. To help with the food distribution, Peterson Farms, Inc. donated 250 cardboard boxes, which were packed for each individual and then delivered to the trunks of the vehicles as people drove up to receive their food.

After learning about this great opportunity in our community, Richard Raffaelli of Peterson Farms donated $10,000 to be used by the New Hope Community Church Food Pantry to continue offering this program through Feeding America. Shortly after his donation, a friend of Raffaelli, who wanted to remain anonymous, matched his donation with an additional $10,000 to be used at the food pantry for the same cause.

“It is incredibly important that during this time of need, the Oceana County community answers the call to come together and help support each other,” said Raffaelli. “I personally challenge the residents and business throughout Oceana County to send any spare money you can to the food bank. Through these donations, we can help to provide for those in need of food in Oceana County.”

Through these two incredibly generous donations, the food truck program can continue for an additional 25 weeks throughout the year. In addition, Peterson Farms, Inc will continue to help by donating cardboard boxes for the food management and distribution.

“Our food pantry has been able to serve families in our community over the years due to the generous donations of individuals and organizations,” said Jonathan Trotter, Treasurer of New Hope Community Church. “We are seeing an unprecedented need right now as a result of COVID 19, and these funds are not only allowing us to continue serving during this difficult time, but also expand the frequency of our pantry and the number of people we can serve.”

The New Hope Community Church Food Pantry will continue to service its normal monthly distribution, which takes place on the third Wednesday evening of every month. From the donations, they are now scheduled to provide a food truck two weeks a month, beginning May 6 through September 23. The full list of dates and times can be found below. Information on the schedule of the food truck, and to learn more about the food pantry, can also be found at www.newhopegrows.org.

Community members can show support by giving to food pantries, through both financial support and non-perishable goods.

“Support can also be shown by supporting your local businesses and shopping local for your products and services,” added Raffaelli. “When the Stay-at-Home order is lifted in Michigan, small businesses of Oceana County will need to see the community supporting one and other by shopping local and keeping our dollars in our community. Together, we will get through this; however, this means together, we need to buy from our local businesses to ensure they stay open.”

Donations for the New Hope Community Church Food Pantry can be made at http://newhopegrows.org/food_pantry.aspx or by mailing a check to:

New Hope Community Church

244 S 79th Ave

Shelby, MI 49455

Food Truck Distribution Schedule: