“So if you have extra food share with your neighbors, bring it to me, and I will share it with people that contact me and are in dire need of food.”
– Laura Overholt, Albion Food Hub
Thanks to the senior mileage, 275 seniors in Albion and the surrounding area received the first delivery of food due to the Michigan governor’s executive order that people stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Thanks to the coordinating efforts of Albion’s Mayor Dave Atchison, Albion Food Hub Facility Manager Laura Overholt, and United Methodist Pastor Leslee Fritz, the food was distributed in under two hours to representatives of various churches lined up in their cars behind the food hub last Thursday.
“The Southwest Michigan Food Bank has been working very hard to meet all the requests. The funding is there, but funding isn’t the only thing that’s needed,” explained Overholt. The Food Hub is a distribution point so that seniors do not have to risk infection while attending the regular food distributions on the second Thursday and fourth Tuesday of every month. Food and monetary donations are what make these distributions possible. “Things like that, because we have seniors and other families that are coming to us regularly that are out-of-work that need food and it’s not available.” Overholt continued, “So if you have extra food share with your neighbors, bring it to me, and I will share it with people that contact me and are in dire need of food.”
“We’re trying to prevent panic.”
Area churches are collecting names of seniors needing food, but more help is needed. “The volunteers that we need is to help people understand who is in dire need. We’re trying to prevent panic. There are more trucks coming to Albion,” said Overholt.
During Thursday’s distribution, Overholt learned of seniors having no access to food
During Thursday’s distribution, Overholt learned of seniors having no access to food and “That is what we’re trying to avoid. These were 20 seniors that are normally taken care of by family members that had been asked to stay home. They have no means to get out themselves, and they are in senior housing in the Albion area.”
In addition to the food delivered by the Southwest Michigan Food Bank, Overholt was able to order extra boxes of food from Sprout in Battle Creek. “Anyone can order their boxes. It is like a Farmer’s market online. They are working with us to get special boxes for seniors,” said Overholt.
For Marjorie Wilson of Albion, one of the seniors receiving the boxes delivered by Deacon Henderson Harris of Bethel Baptist Church, the food means feeding herself and her 100-year-old mother, Madear Harvard. “It means a lot. I am on a fixed income and I do take care of my mom, so it’ll help me a lot,” said Wilson. She is one of the several seniors who is practicing social distancing. “The governor told us don’t get out, so I am afraid.”
In another part of town, Pastor Ramona Truss of Transformation Through God’s Word ministries had to take a trailer to deliver all the meals needed at Peabody Place.
In another part of town, Pastor Ramona Truss of Transformation Through God’s Word ministries had to take a trailer to deliver all the meals needed at Peabody Place. Glen Farmer who lives there watches a lot of TV as he practices social distancing. “I really don’t want to catch the COVID virus. I am 70 years old,” said Farmer.
Each of the churches helping with the distribution has its own way of meeting the need for its members and neighborhood. Some do a call down to the seniors in their church. “I’ve contacted all of our seniors to see if they needed help. Of those, I called, there nine who needed a food basket.” Because no one is in the church office at this time, the phones are not checked as often as needed, but if someone in need leaves a message, they will help them it just may take a little longer to respond.
For more information about the senior distribution and volunteering or donating food, contact Laura Overholt at the Food Hub, 517-629-3343, and leave a message.
Others have received calls. “Joseph Branham a member of Christ Apostolic Church said there was a rush of calls to his church and was picking up 17 meals for his route distribution.
Micah Doerksen, one of the youth ministers at First Baptist Church said helping to distribute food was important to him. “We wanted to love on the older people in our church community,” he said. But the church was also delivering food to seniors who were not members but had contacted the ministers of their church.
Albion Mayor Dave Atchison was pleased with how smoothly everything went on the first distribution day. “I can’t say enough good things about Laura Overholt making all this work and Pastor Leslee Fritz from the United Methodist Church who is also coordinating all the churches, and of course, Councilwoman Lenn Reid once again volunteering her time.” He did have one concern, though. “We need younger people to come down and volunteer. We don’t want the elderly and seniors down here, and if you look who is down here, over half of them are over 68. We could use the youth of the community.”
Carol Smith, wife of Precinct 3 Councilman Al Smith, summarized why it is so important to volunteer during and after this crisis. “I was raised to give back to my community, and Albion is my community,” said Smith. “I just think it’s wonderful how the people of Albion have come together to serve the people of Albion.”
For more information about the senior distribution and volunteering or donating food, contact Laura Overholt at the Food Hub, 517-629-3343, and leave a message.
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Pictures by Sylvia Benavidez
This story is reprinted with permission from The Recorder.
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