SPRING LAKE, MI - St. Mary's Catholic Church was selected to receive two grants to help renovate a portion of its former elementary school building to use for its food pantry.
Grand Haven Area Community Foundation presented the parish with $20,000 from the Marion A. and Ruth K. Sherwood Family Fund and $15,000 from the Greatest Need Fund, according to a news release.
The grants assisted with initial funding for the $125,000 project and donations are being accepted to cover the remaining cost.
Renovating the building in Spring Lake will allow the parish to increase the size of the food pantry by more than 40 percent and increase available storage space for food items.
A new entrance to the building off Prospect Street will also be added and will decrease the distance from the parking spaces to the front door.
Pantry volunteer Mary Ann Herbst said since she began volunteering at the pantry four years ago, the ministry size has grown to meet the needs of the increasing number of pantry visitors.
"It is not uncommon to find a line waiting outside the door each Thursday morning before the pantry opens," Herbst said in a statement. "More visitors mean more food is needed, which, in turn, requires more shelf and storage space, and more room to welcome and assist the visitors."
Construction is expected to begin soon and be completed by the end of February 2017. The relocation will occur during a two-week period at that time.
Replacing the former school building is a 23,000 square-foot Catholic Education Center. The center is the first new elementary school building to be built in almost 20 years.
It will be attached to the existing St. Mary's Catholic Church and activity center at 406 E. Savidge St.
Catholic diocese's first new elementary school in two decades to be built
