Five-and-a-half-tons.11,000 pounds.
That's the amount of food in one month that the Mattawan Area Pantry, a group of Mattawan area churches, businesses and organizations, in an ecumenical effort, currently averages as it offers assistance to Mattawan Consolidated School District residents.
Food pantry volunteers have previously stated that hunger is a growing problem in Van Buren County, as nearly 11,000 families each month have trouble putting food on the table.
For several years, a food pantry had been operated by the Mattawan Congregational Church (now Mattawan Community Church.)
As the church operated the food pantry, church members began to see residents' needs increase for food and other items.
About 18 months ago, Access First Credit Union, in Mattawan, began initial talks about starting a community food pantry.
Those talks strengthened through an Access First Credit Union employee at the time, who knew Laura Osborne, Mattawan Community Church's associate pastor. In the fall of 2010, the Mattawan Area Pantry Board was formed to help oversee the food pantry.
Board membership is made up of volunteers from MPI Research, Access First Credit Union, the Mattawan Kiwanis Club, St. John Bosco Church, Mattawan, and Mattawan Community Church.
The board is completing paperwork that will designate it as a non-profit group, separate from the church. It has also filed for 501(c) 3 non-profit status.
Mike Hartwigsen, of Access First Credit Union, business development, Mattawan, said the Mattawan Area Pantry has developed into something "far beyond anything we could have ever started.
"It's taken on a life of its own."
www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20463665&BRD=2188&PAG=461&dept_id=414962&rfi=6
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