Keeping a food pantry stocked during the year can be difficult but a Michigan-based bank is looking to change that through an online campaign
Independent Bank has launched its “Investing In Communities” campaign.
The campaign will award 16 non-profit organizations in the State of Michigan with a $5,000 check, totaling $80,000 in donations.
The campaign is separated in four different phases including feeding, protecting, housing, and serving community members.
The top four organizations with the most amount of your votes in each phase will win a $5,000 check.
The Helping Hands Food Pantry in Charlotte is among the non-profit organizations nominated in the first phase kicking off Wednesday. The group understands the reality many low-income families face of going to bed hungry every night.
“It gets toward the end of the month and you have to decide if you’re going to pay for your medicine or food,” said Helping Hands Food Pantry director Phil Grimwood.
$5,000 could be a game changer for many pantries.
“We can feed one person for a week for about $5.00 when you exclude the soaps and things,” said Grimwood. “Including the personal care items would be about $7.50 a week, we take care of one person for a whole week.”
While keeping food on the shelves is work, the reward is worth the work.
“Sometimes we refer to it as a running ice cream store because people leave smiling and that’s the best part of having a successful pantry,” said Grimwood.
Many other pantry’s in Mid-Michigan have been nominated and taking your votes. They include:
- The Pantry at Rives (Jackson)
- Williamston Food Bank (Williamston)
- Compassionate Ministries of Jackson County (Jackson)
- Helping Hands Food Pantry (Charlotte)
- Pagans In Need (Lansing)
- Portland Food Bank (Portland)
- Capital Area Community Services – Commodity Food Department (Lansing)
- Saint Josephs Food Pantry (Ionia County)
- Heart and Hands (Eaton Rapids)
- St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Bank (Lansing)
- The Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan (Lansing)
- Greater Lansing Food Bank (Lansing)
- Plymouth Congregational Church (Lansing)
- Charlotte Assembly of God “Bridging the Gap” Program
- Lettuce Live Well (East Lansing)
Click here for more information on the program.
Click here to place your vote. You must have a valid Facebook page and are only allow to vote once a day.
