KAIR food pantry needs volunteers - UpNorthLive.com

KAIR food pantry needs volunteers - UpNorthLive.com

KALKASKA COUNTY (WPBN/WGTU) --

Kalkaska Area Interfaith Resources, or KAIR, has a food pantry which helps people during tough times, but they are having a problem finding enough volunteers to keep it running properly.

Brad McDermont, 17, has been volunteering at KAIR for about a month now, and said it's the least he can do.

"I volunteer because Jesus spent his time helping so many people," said McDermont. "And if the son of God, a perfect human, can help out then I can spend some of my time helping out the community."

Cathy Somes the Director of KAIR said she needs more people like McDermont to step up.

"When you can take time out of your day and help forward someone else that is in a dire situation, in the end that's what matters," said Somes. "It isn't the money that you have, or the house that out have, it's who you help in this lifetime."

Somes also said they usually have 11 volunteers working the food pantry but right now they only three.

Last week the pantry had to close for a day because of the lack of volunteers and that meant 15 families didn't have a place to go for food in the Kalkaska area.

"Summertime is usually a hit or miss thing," said Somes. "You don't usually get a lot of new volunteers, simply because everyone has busy lives."

Somes said that a couple of their long time volunteers passed away recently and its been hard finding people who are in it for the long run.

"Honestly, I've just seen a change in my own life and I feel like I'm just doing a lot better and it's just good to see a change in our community as well," said McDermont."

McDermont said even though school is about to start, he wants to continue to volunteer whenever he can.

Somes said they are also in need of more food donations.

If you would like to volunteer, you can do it through the KAIR website.