KENTWOOD, Mich. — A food pantry in West Michigan, which serves thousands of people a month, will have even more food choices for holiday meals.
Green Apple Pantry in Kentwood received a grant in 2022 which allowed them to purchase a new cooler.
"We received a grant through Blue Cross, Blue Shield and the United dairy industry," said Executive Director Nancy Cromley. "And it was a grant specifically designed for us to receive a cooler for to be used for dairy products. So we wrote the grant, and we were awarded the grant, and got this beautiful cooler."
The new cooler holds all of their dairy products like milk, cottage cheese, butter, hard cheese and yogurts.
Cromley said she's glad that with the new cooler, they can meet the growing needs of their community.
"In the past year, we have seen about a 45% increase in the number of families that are food insecure and need help on a monthly basis," she said. "That is significant, but we all know because we go to the grocery stores ourselves, and we see the cost of butter, the cost of eggs, the cost of a gallon of milk. So we are very much aware that this is a trend that will continue. So without the partnerships that we have, without the community support that we have, we would not be able to get this food out to the community."
The pantry is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and also on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, you can visit their website here.