Joe Reid of Elmwood Township wasn’t looking for a handout when his retirement budget blew up, but he did need a helping hand.
Now he’s switched roles, serving on Mondays as a volunteer for the Leelanau Christian Neighbor (LCN) Food Pantry.
“I actually used the service,” Reid said while organizing a food case stacked with fresh mushrooms, onion bags and pints of blueberries. “I felt bad for not helping. I lost some of my retirement plan, and needed some help to stay even. These are a great bunch of hard working people.”
Reid symbolizes the ingredient that has made LCN a staple in solving the needs of county families — donations, whether in the form of volunteerism, goods or money.
Now more help is needed than ever, according to Mary Stanton, LCN executive director.
Some 168 families arrived for groceries two weeks ago, “the largest in my memory,” Stanton said. “A lot of the reason for families is food cost, and it’s rental cost — the cost of everything in general. People just can’t their budgets work.”
“It doesn’t work anymore.” The rising prices of food and rent — categories within the reach of LCN’s helping hands — are chipping away at the economic independence of county families. Many are relying more on government programs or nonprofi t organizations such as LCN to fill the gap.
According to the USDA, food prices rose 25% from 2019-23. The research website Rent.com reports that the median rent for dwellings in Michigan rose 12.47% in 2023, the third-highest increase among U.S. states.
Wages haven’t kept up. LCN, with its 200-volunteer base, has so far been able to meet that heightened demand, Stanton said. But more funding and donations will be needed to maintain a record pace headed into what has traditionally been the busiest season for LCN.
“The biggest thing we need is money, because we can purchase things for a lesser price than you can. We buy by the case full, sometimes by the pallet full. And we take all things that people need, including fresh farm eggs. People love them,” Stanton said.
LCN’s popularity, both in terms of people served and support within the community, lies in its ability to grow while preserving a community touch. This week Norconk Farms near Empire donated fresh asparagus, and soon locally craved Bardenhagen Berries will be on the shelves for those who can’t afford to pay grocery store prices. The food pantry also has doled out packages of venison burger ground in Leelanau butcher shops.
Those pints of blueberries scooped up by LCN clients on Monday were a lucky find. They were on sale Sunday at Meijer for 99 cents; normally they’re $4.
“So I bought 160 of them. They had strawberries on sale as well, but I couldn’t fit them in my car,” Stanton recalled.
People are finding it difficult to make rent payments as well, Stanton continued, within highpriced Leelanau County housing. LCN helps financially through its Neighborhood Assistance Ministry, which meets weekly to hear the needs of residents hoping to make it to their next fixedincome check or paycheck.
Not so long ago requests revolved around the need for a couple hundred dollars.
“Now that doesn’t get them hardly anywhere. Keeping up is a big problem for us, and it gets bigger every day. The need is so great. People apply here, and we have a discussion. We like to sit and talk to people about their needs,” Stanton said.
LCN owns and runs the largest program in the county designed to help residents who are down on their luck. It operates on a two-acre parcel off M-204 in Lake Leelanau through an administrative building that includes a walk-in cooler and baby pantry, and the Samaritan’s Closet resale shop found in the rear of the property.
The resale shop has been busy, too, having recently accepted donations from 83 people in one day — a level of giving previously resigned to the middle of summer.
The shop raises funds for LCN programs while providing a much-needed source for affordable goods. Stanton said people of all means are welcome, and most throw change from purchases in a piggy bank that adds to LCN’s revenue stream. Sydney Begeman is manager of Samaritan’s Closet.
Said Stanton, “One time we had a painting from a local artist who somebody thought should be worth $500. We put a price tag on the framed picture and it sold for $250. Should we have gotten more? Maybe. But that money paid for the next guy’s electrical bill,” Stanton recalled.
LCN was established as a nonprofi t corporation in 1987, and works as an extension of Christianity that lives in the churches of Leelanau County. Many churches dedicate one or more offerings each year to the LCN mission. Most have members who volunteer.
But beware. Volunteering can turn into a forever gig.
Anneke Wegman started volunteering while carrying her son in a front pack. That was 22 years ago.
“I really feel passionate about food, and I just believe everyone should have access to food,” she explained. “I’m doing my part here. I have the time and the capability, and I’m happy to work.”
