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Feed 186 families each week at Community Pantry in Grand Rapids

Help keep a free food pantry open for families and seniors in Grand Rapids.

🇺🇸 United States1,547 views
Vivian A. Alexander
Email verifiedPhoto verified
Grand Rapids
Since 2019, our volunteer team has run Community Pantry every Thursday from the back of a community center. We started with 24 families, and now we feed 186 each week. Donations have dropped by about 40% this school holidays, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 17 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Grand Rapids market and keep every receipt. Each $45 feeds a family of four for a week. I'll post the weekly shopping receipts and a photo of the shelves each Sunday. Where the $1,950 goes: • Refrigeration and electricity: $360 • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $770 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $820 I'll keep this page updated with receipts as things happen. - Vivian
#food-pantry#hunger#volunteer-led#food

Updates from Vivian

  1. Quick update: $750 raised so far (38%). I met with the wholesaler and confirmed the amounts. Receipts coming as soon as I have them.

  2. Quick update: $419 raised so far (21%). I met with the wholesaler and confirmed the amounts. Receipts coming as soon as I have them.

  3. Thank you all. We're at 11% now ($215). I'm honestly stunned. I made the first payment toward refrigeration and electricity.

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Revathi S. Rajan 🇮🇳 · $10
  • Bilal Zaid Belkacem 🇬🇧 · $10

    “Stay strong. Hope the December deadline works out. - Leicester”

  • Vijay T. Ramachandran 🇮🇳 · $50
  • Ryan D. Bautista 🇨🇦 · $50

    “Every little bit. Hope this covers a bit of it. - Laval”

  • Sevgi Büşra Çelik 🇹🇷 · $33
  • Teresa Dunn 🇺🇸 · $50
  • Ali Hamza Farouk 🇫🇷 · $20
  • Anonymous 🇵🇰 · $50
  • Arianna N. Salazar 🇺🇸 · $5

    “Thinking of you. Hope you get the rest soon. - Syracuse”

  • Sebastián Ochoa 🇺🇸 · $20
  • Lucas A. Rose 🇺🇸 · $20

    “Praying for you. Thought of Vivian all day after reading this. - Bakersfield”

  • Rami Yusuf Lotfy 🇪🇬 · $13
  • Vladimir Konstantin Semenov 🇺🇦 · $20
  • Anonymous 🇮🇳 · $5

    “Wishing you the best. I'm in Kolkata, thinking of you.”

  • Ananya P. Dubey 🇮🇳 · $100

    “You got this. Thought of Vivian all day after reading this. - New Delhi”

  • Anonymous 🇺🇸 · $40
  • Yusuke Hayato Ito 🇯🇵 · $20
  • Modupe Lilian Adeyemi 🇳🇬 · $10
  • Juan P. Villalobos 🇺🇸 · $10
  • Moshe Tomer Tal 🇮🇱 · $68

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  • Gerald F. White

    Hang in there, Vivian. It takes guts to ask. Well done.

    • Chantel JoubertPhoto verified

      Hope things get better soon, Vivian. It takes guts to ask. Well done. Our whole street has been following this since the weekend

      • Caio Daniel Bezerra

        So sorry you're going through this, Vivian. I hope things turn around soon. Thinking of Grand Rapids.

        • Benjamin Samuel Kumi

          Sending strength. Hope the build day goes well, wish I lived closer. It's not much but it's yours. Blessings

          • Jennifer S. Andrews

            keep going, Vivian. Hope you get there. Blessings.

            $1,023 raised of $1,950

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