In October of 2022 Love Your Neighbor opened the Emergency Food Pantry in partnership with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department, the Hudsonville-Jenison Community Foundation, Hoonhorst Concrete, River City Flooring, Huizens Locksmith, and Miedema Metal Building Systems.
Often, under-resourced families will come to the attention of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department, or the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) when needing support. We have seen an influx increase of families who are in need, but whose need does not come to light during office hours, and they are therefore not able to receive the help they need.
Michele Sampson from Ottawa County’s Sheriff Department shared, “Love Your Neighbor has been willing to help the community with their immediate needs and we are so fortunate for our partnership. Love stepped up and gave us the resources that we can now give to the community.”
Our Church partners have also seen great outcomes with the Emergency Pantry.
One local church was approached by a family experiencing homelessness in our community and this family was referred to the emergency pantry to receive items like food, clothes, hygiene products, and bedding. Since then we have been able to continue supporting this family as they are determining the best next steps.
God works through Love Your Neighbor offering hope, empowerment, and community. Through this pantry and partnership with Ottawa County’s CIT, we have been able to see that happen and are eager to see it continue. With our one-time emergency pantry being available around the clock, people from all over Ottawa county have equal opportunities to get their immediate needs met through this sustainable resource.
If you would like to learn more about this ongoing partnership or how you can get involved, please contact Melissa Clay ([email protected]).