The Salvation Army Marquette County remains open during COVID-19 Crisis
Media Contact:
Doug Winters
Aux. Captain, Corps Officer
The Salvation Army Marquette and Ishpeming, MI
906-226-2241
The Salvation Army remains open during COVID-19 Crisis
MARQUETTE COUNTY — Pantry operations and lunch for those affected by nutrition insecurity will continue. An exemption in Governor Whitmer’s ‘shelter in place’ executive order allows The Salvation Army to continue to serve food to those in need. Operations have been changed to enforce no-contact operations and allow for social distancing.
“The food pantry is an essential component of food security for many in our county,” said Captain Doug Winters. “We will remain open during this crisis to serve those in need. Social distancing procedures will be used to ensure that clients, volunteers and staff remain safe.” Prepared food baskets will replace the previous client-choice pantry operations until the crisis ends. “We have seen a steady increase in new clients”, said Winters.
Anyone in the public who has recently lost their job is encouraged to register for pantry services, which takes about 5 minutes. An ID is needed. The food pantries in Ishpeming and Marquette are open Monday and Tuesday, 9:30-12:00 and 1:00-3:30. They are also open Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.
Lunch services will continue in Marquette every Monday through Friday. Additional food safety and food service precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of clients, and ‘take-away only’ service is provided with a no-contact procedure. This program continues to also support lunch for the clients at the Room At The Inn shelter and warming center. Additional funds are needed to support the disposables used in serving food to go.
The mobile food pantry scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 5:00 to 6:30 is still scheduled. Similar social distancing practices including a drive-through operation will be scheduled for those with vehicles to limit personal exposure. Clients are asked to arrive at 5PM rather than coming early, to avoid traffic and waiting in line with social distancing concerns. This pantry was paid for by a generous gift from the Superior Health Foundation.
Clients with needs for casework such as emergency vouchers and utility assistance should call to schedule an appointment. The Salvation Army will continue to provide these critical needs even though our Family Store is closed.
“I would like to warmly thank the staff and volunteers who continue to serve during this crisis” said Captain Winters.
How You Can Help:
· To donate directly to the COVID-19 response efforts, logon to : https://donate.salvationarmywi.org/WUMCovid19Donations
· To support the services of The Salvation Army by mail, send a check to The Salvation Army, 1009 Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI 49855, or The Salvation Army, 222 E. Division St., Ishpeming, MI 49849 and mark check as CV19 Marquette County.
· Drop by either office to make a donation.
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About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. The Salvation Army tracks the level of need across the country with the Human Needs Index (Human NeedsIndex.org).
The Salvation Army has operated continuously serving the people of Marquette County for 130 years. Locally, The Salvation Army operates two food pantries, lunch feeding programs, kids programming in Marquette and Ishpeming, on-going casework for families in need, and Emergency Disaster Services. Seasonal programs include Backpack and School Supplies distribution, Christmas Toy Shop, and Christmas Baskets in Marquette and Alger Counties. In the Marquette County service area, 90 cents of every dollar raised is used to support programs and services.