The North Shore community frequently steps up to help the Cook County Food Shelf financially. Various groups host fundraisers and food drives throughout the year. Generous citizens drop checks in the mail or nonperishable items in shopping carts at local grocery stores. But did you know there is another way to help the food shelf? There is always a need for volunteers to help organize and distribute the food to clients.
Food Shelf volunteer Gwen Lenz said there are many ways to help, with unloading of the delivery truck, by packing up bags and boxes for recipients, by picking up the groceries donated at Gene’s Foods or Johnson’s Big Dollar and bringing them to the Food Shelf.
Volunteers are needed during the Food Shelf “open hours” of 3 – 5 p.m. each Monday. Volunteers work in pairs to help their neighbors in the weekly food distribution.
The other tasks—organizing and boxing up food and transporting food items from grocery stores to the Food Shelf can be done anytime the church is open and there is access to the Food Shelf area.
The Food Shelf is located in the lower level of the First Congregational Church (3rd Avenue and 2nd Street) in Grand Marais. There are also food distribution sites in Grand Portage and at Zoar Lutheran Church in Tofte.
The Food Shelf accepts all kinds of food, even snacks, and fresh and some frozen food donations. The Food Shelf will also accept donations of food for pets. And of course financial donations are also appreciated and help the Food Shelf fill in gaps of food items. Financial donations may be sent to Cook County Food Shelf, P.O. Box 95, Grand Marais, MN 55604.
If any of these volunteer activities interest you, contact Gwen Lenz at (218) 387-9860 for more information.
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