Let Us Remember to Give
- Photo Courtesy of Twelve Baskets: Pastor Dave of Connections Community Church in Schoolcraft with donations.
While we are making sure that our families have enough to eat (and plenty of toilet paper for other matters!), let us not forget to give. Many individuals struggle with having enough food to eat on a daily basis – during normal times. So today, let us remember those with empty cupboards. With growling stomachs. With the heartbreak of trying to feed their children.
Let us gather what we might. As individuals. As families. As churches. As friends.
Whether it’s a jar of peanut butter. Or a can of vegetable soup.
Or eggs.
- Photo Courtesy of Twelve Baskets: Joe’s Farm of Schoolcraft donating eggs.
Whatever you can afford. And if you can’t shop, there is another option: Donate to Twelve Baskets, and food pantry shoppers will go out and purchase food. Whether you can give five dollars or 500 dollars, every dollar counts.
- Photo Courtesy of Twelve Baskets: Volunteers
In our community, Twelve Baskets serves clients in Schoolcraft, Portage, Vicksburg and Three Rivers in Michigan. In January, I wrote a story about Twelve Baskets that appeared in Encore Magazine. During normal times, Twelve Baskets’ volunteers welcome clients into their grocery-style building with smiles, shopping carts and aisles of food. Twelve Baskets can’t operate in that manner today, but they are still giving – and smiling – and with unemployment skyrocketing, the clients need has doubled.
Right now, volunteers bring the grocery carts out and load it into vehicles.
- Photo Courtesy of Twelve Baskets.
Right now, typical donors like Meijer and Costco are struggling to keep their store shelves filled with food. So right now, though these stores are still giving, it is far less than usual. So today, Twelve Baskets volunteers go shopping for food with donations.
Wherever you live in our great country – Michigan, Indiana, Colorado, Florida – let us remember to give. Like Pastor Dave and Connections Community Church in Schoolcraft, rocks stars at giving. They hold regular drop-off food drives at their church.
- Photo Courtesy of Twelve Baskets: Pastor Dave of Connections Community Church in Schoolcraft with more donations.
Or Green Door Distilling Company in Kalamazoo that donated hand sanitizer for the volunteers.
- Photo Courtesy of Twelve Baskets: Donations from Green Door Distilling Company in Kalamazoo.
Or like Michelle and Tim.
- Photo Courtesy of Twelve Baskets: Michelle and Tim.
If you would like to donate, here are the greatly needed items at Twelve Baskets: Peanut butter and jelly, tomato juice, vegetable juices, canned soup and canned vegetables.
Drop things off in their donation box near the front door (It’s checked all day long). For larger donations, call 269-532-4912 to arrange a time. Or donate money online, or mail a check to 10332 Portage Road, Portage, MI 49002.
Lisa Mackinder 