Report on 2020: Community supports Food Closet to feed the hungry in tri-community

By Marilyn Wood
Coordinator, Emergency Food Closet
The Emergency Food Closet housed at Belleville First United Methodist Church located at 417 Charles St. has been feeding the hungry in Van Buren and Sumpter Townships and the City of Belleville since 1983. It is staffed by 25 volunteers.
In 2022, the Emergency Food Closet distributed 2,144 bags of food. In addition, each client also received a choice of meat, lunch meat, dairy product, a loaf of bread, a four-roll pack of toilet paper, and a personal-choice item. 179 families were served this year. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, each client also received a $10 Meijer Food Only gift card to purchase additional food. Clients with families of five or more received double.
At the Emergency Food Closet everyone receives food on his or her first visit. A referral is required to continue to receive food. Referrals can be made through the Salvation Army, a school (social worker), a church pastor, a physician, or a government agency. Once a referral is received, the client can receive food weekly for a year. There is also a “Little Free Food Pantry” located on Church Street for those in need of food when the Emergency Food Closet is closed.
All of this has been made possible through the generosity of community individuals, churches, businesses, and service groups in the community. The Emergency Food Closet’s biggest fundraiser is the Meijer Simply Give Campaigns at the local Meijer store at 9701 Belleville Rd. The 2022 Winter and Fall campaigns raised $35,170. $20,000 of this was donated by Meijer on their Double Match Days. In addition, almost $25,000 was donated from community individuals, churches, Craig and Medina Atchinson and their Atchinson Ford employees with their generous donations, along with the pop/can fundraising efforts by Steve Dolot, and community groups – Western Wayne County Quilting Guild, a local Bunco Club, an Arthritis class, Bayloff Stamped Products (15 turkeys donated at Thanksgiving), the sale of Ken Voigt’s Goat T-shirts, and the Belleville Fire Auxiliary.
In addition, food drives were held by Atchinson Ford, Ivy Rehab, Milton’s Pharmarcy, local cub, boy and girl scout troops, and the Goodfellows. The largest food drive was held by the Belleville postal employees on May 14 from their nationwide “Stamp-Out Hunger” campaign. 9,546 pounds of food were delivered to the church on that day with many hands involved with sorting, date checking, and shelving.
Non-perishable and non-expired food and personal care items (dish and laundry soap, paper towels, and Kleenex) are donated on a weekly/monthly basis by many community individuals. These donations are accepted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monetary donations can be made out to Belleville First United Methodist Church with Emergency Food Closet written on the memo line.
Without the continued and generous support from the community, the Emergency Food Closet could not provide this service to feed the hungry. It is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.