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Volunteers from the Manistee MOPS group, Karen Tameling and Jordan Garber shop for groceries and stock the shelves with the help of their children, at ECHO His Love's food pantry. (Courtesy photo)
Volunteers from the Manistee MOPS group, Karen Tameling and Jordan Garber shop for groceries and stock the shelves with the help of their children, at ECHO His Love's food pantry. (Courtesy photo)
Volunteers from the Manistee MOPS group, Karen Tameling and Jordan Garber shop for groceries and stock the shelves with the help of their children, at ECHO His Love's food pantry. (Courtesy photo)
Volunteers from the Manistee MOPS group, Karen Tameling and Jordan Garber shop for groceries and stock the shelves with the help of their children, at ECHO His Love's food pantry. (Courtesy photo)
MANISTEE — ECHO His Love’s Manna Pantry was established to provide nourishment to the less fortunate in Manistee and Benzie Counties. With the holidays approaching, ECHO His Love is seeking both donations and volunteers to address this need.
“Our client choice MANNA Pantry came into existence through a recognized weekly food need due to the closure of a long standing community pantry,” said Robin Paulus, ECHO His Love executive director.
MANNA Pantry opened in Oct. 2018 with a desire to serve the communities’ food needs.
“We opened three days a week with the help of volunteer builders, donated lumber and food through church and community partners,” Paulus said. “The first six months we served an average of 24 households monthly and now serve an average of 44, each month.”
MANNA Pantry has witnessed an 83% increase during a nearly six month period, by representing 401 households through Sept. 2019. The group has filled the stomachs of 675 adults and 277 children with over 10,592 pounds of food, Paulus said.
The MANNA Pantry is looking for additional volunteers to help run the pantry, stock shelves, shop and process the clients.
"The pantry is a good experience for teens to learn the art and heart of giving to those in need," Paulus said. "We do require that any minors work with a parent."
The MANNA pantry is located at ECHO His Love Campus at 525 Michael St. The pantry is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. MANNA is staffed with an AARP training participant and limited volunteers under the direction of ECHO His Love’s Ministry Resource Center.
ECHO His Love asks those in need to arrive 30 minutes prior to closing to allow proper time to serve them.
Pantry participants will need to provide a valid picture ID with correct address, for All Adults, 18 years and older, living in the home and receiving pantry assistance. A client may come once every 7, 30 or 90 days depending on their eligibility, which is determined when they apply for help. A three to five day supply of food is given to each family during their visit to the pantry.
Donations can be in the form of non-perishable and perishable food items or cash contributions.
"We strive to have meats, cheeses, butter, and eggs stocked in the pantry along with the shelf-stable foods," Paulus said, adding that any local produce from gardeners is also appreciated. Hunters and fishers wishing to share are welcome to donate their game if it has been professionally processed.
For more information, contact ECHO His Love at (231) 723-6613 or by email at info@echohislove.org.
