Local food pantry in need

ESCANABA– An Upper Peninsula Food pantry is desperately in need of donations so they can continue their work.

The Salvation Army’s food pantry in Escanaba works to take some pressure off needy families. One attendee, Joanny Grenfelo, said that the pantry had helped her family though a crises.

“My father had gotten really sick, so we had to travel back and forth. He was in a nursing home and lived an hour away and because of gas prices and stuff like that it cost a lot of money.” She said, “But I was able to do it because, because of being able to eat here for free.”

Grenfelo’s story isn’t unique, officials at the pantry say they have a lot of mouths to feed.

Salvation Army Major Ralph Hansen said they “serve between two hundred and two hundred twenty five food boxes every month.”

The Salvation Army is able to feed a hungry family for a week with the food boxes they give out.

Major Hansen said they needed between four and five thousand pounds of food to keep them up and running until the holidays.

If the pantry run out of food, that could mean more difficulties for families already going through rocky times. People are better able to manage their situation with the food they receive.

Grenfelo said that “if it wasn’t for the food I wouldn’t be able to make ends meet.”

If you want to help out, go down to your local salvation army and see what they need.