GOOD NEIGHBOR FOOD PANTRY
--Lake City Evangelical Presbyterian Church
--Thursday, Aug. 8
--Registration from 2 to 3 p.m., food distribution 3 to 6 p.m.
--Fresh foods, non-perishable food items
LAKE CITY – Pastor Greg DuBois of the Lake City Evangelical Presbyterian Church has a simple explanation for why the members of his church have undertaken a monthly food pantry outreach that begins next week.
"The need is there," DuBois said, noting that his church was looking for ways to have a positive impact in the community and discovered, through a variety of interviews, that providing food for families in need was at the top of the list.
And so the Good Neighbor Food Pantry was born out of that need.
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church is beginning the food pantry outreach on Thursday, Aug. 8. Registration extends from 2 to 3 p.m. with food distribution from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be fresh food available for those who come along with non-perishable food items. There will also be recipes for how to prepare the food and make tasty and nutritious meals and there will be some samples of prepared foods available at the church, too.
"It's open to anybody," said longtime church member Chris Klein, an occupational therapist who helped to get the food pantry started.
"We just want to help people and make a difference in ways that ."
Klein said the church's food pantry committee visited area food pantries to get an idea how the ministry is operated. The Missaukee Area Community Foundation helped to get the food pantry off the ground with a grant provided to the Feeding America organization on the church's behalf. The church is hoping to keep the monthly food pantry operating through donations.
Those wishing to make a tax-deductible donation to the ministry outreach may send a check to the church made out to "EPC" with "Good Neighbor" on the memo line. The church's address is 5804 W. Houghton Lake Road, Lake City, MI 49651.
Pastor DuBois said donations of non-perishable foods are always welcome, too. He emphasized that the Good Neighbor Food Pantry is not looking to replace any of the exisiting food pantries in the area, just to complement the great work those pantries are already doing.
Kathy DuBois said the church is open to volunteers as well.
"We want this to be a collaboration," Kathy said. "We welcome other churches to join us."
Pastor DuBois said too many people view the church "as a fortress," an imposing, unwelcoming place.
"We need to get back to the mission of being a good neighbor," he said.
The Pastor hopes the food pantry is a positive first step in that direction.
The church is located just east of the McDonald's intersection, next to the former Foster Super's Market. The Good Neighbor Food Pantry is offered at the church once a month, on the second Thursday.
