STANTON, Mich. — The Baby Pantry in Stanton began with simple goals 24 years ago: take care of babies and show God's love for the community.
Now, the pantry, located in the basement of Trinity Church, has expanded to multiple rooms and caters to about 70 families a month.
"I think we're one of the best kept secrets in Montcalm County," said Judy Hardy, manager of the pantry.
Hardy said the pantry's biggest draw is free diapers. They spend thousands of dollars every year on diapers to give out.
The pantry walls are lined with clothing for preemies to about age four. Parents or guardians can come in every month and grab what they need, with limits for each visit.
"With the high price of food, gas, electricity, everything, there's just a lot of families that even though they may be working, things are tight for them," said Hardy, "Our goal here is to just help them meet the needs of their children."
There are no requirements or financial thresholds to meet to be able to use the pantry.
"We had a lady that came in several years ago and she could not get help from anyplace else," said Hardy, "She did not meet their requirements. And we were able to help her with diapers and stuff. She left in tears, which got me teared up, too. So, I think we do a lot of good to help people. We've had a lot of our families tell us that you don't know how much of a difference we've made."
The pantry supplies are entirely filled by donations, both items and monetary.
To learn more about the pantry or how to donate, visit the Baby Pantry's Facebook Page. The pantry is located at 400 N Lincoln St, Stanton, MI, and serves anyone in Montcalm County.
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