Food Pantry Provides Hope

Sherry thought she had done everything right.

She went to school, earned a degree, had a job and provided her children. But in recent months her life began to unravel.

Due to an injury she can no longer work as a paramedic. She is in the middle of a divorce. And due to the current economy, the St. Clair Shores resident can not find a job where she can utilize her criminal justice degree.

While it may seem that Sherry—who asked for her last name to be withheld—the world is unraveling, the food pantry and clothes closet at Lake Shore Presbyterian Church has provided a vital lifeline to provide food and clothes for her family.

"It helps me feed my children," said Sherry, who selected items Wednesday in the clothes closet before receiving food. "I am just grateful they are here. We all have to look out for each other."

Three times a month in the basement of the church on Jefferson, residents in need can receive assistance from the food pantry and clothes closet.

Items are collected through parishioner donations, Macomb County food programs and other local charities, and then are distributed to nearly 400 people a month.

Cheryl Smark, mission chairperson, runs the pantry and closet at the church with the help of volunteers. All the church asks of the people who use the plan is to show a picture identification and fill out a short form.

Then those who utilize the program mark what they want from the stock for items including canned vegetables, cereals and peanut butter on another form. For the two days the food pantry is open before Thanksgiving, the church is providing either a turkey or a certificate to and a bag of items for a holiday dinner.

"We are the only pantry that has regularly scheduled hours," Smark said. "We never turn people away."

In addition to working with residents in the neighborhoods around the church, and parishioners, volunteers with the program reach out to counselors and social workers in the elementary schools in the city to share when the pantry is open.

"(Request for services) went down at the end of the summer, but now it has shot up," Smark said.

She believes the reason for the increase may be because "the holidays are coming, gas bills are going up, and if we can get help, maybe we can have some extra dollars for Christmas."

The Lake Shore Presbyterian Church Food Pantry and Clothes Closet will be open 1:30 - 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 22. The pantry will also be open 1:30 - 3 p.m. Dec. 13 and Dec. 27 and 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. Dec. 22. For more information, or to donate, call (586) 777-8533.