MASON, Mich. — Leslie Outreach Inc. celebrated the grand re-opening of their food bank and and human resource center Wednesday. The charity was originally located in Leslie's industrial area but were forced to relocate due to the pandemic.
"We were in the industrial area in the JD Norman building for 20 years, and then, when COVID hit, they had to close down. And when they closed down, we were forced to move out," said Hook.
They were then located in downtown Leslie but needed to find a new space to help service more community members.
Many seniors in Leslie have a hard time getting groceries. The city of Leslie currently does not have a grocery store, so residents need to make a trip outside of town.
"There's a lot of seniors that have trouble getting out and getting out of town to get their food. So, having a food bank in the community has just been vital to helping those that truly need the help," said Hook.
Leslie Outreach Inc. provides food to clients on a monthly basis. They're open every Thursday for residents to come in and choose the food they go home with.
"All they have to do is fill out a menu. I know some food banks operate by giving a box of food, well, we allow our clients to choose what they like and what they don't like off a menu. We don't want them taking home things they won't use," said Hook.
Right now, the most common item for Leslie residents is meat, due to the rising costs of animal proteins in grocery stores. However, it's also the priciest item to store.
"We've got the overhead cost of running this facility that we have to think of, so we try and be as frugal as we can and make sure that we're spending our money wisely and the communities money wisely," said Hook.
Leslie Outreach Inc. takes monetary and perishable food donations. You can drop off donations at 210 E. Bellevue St. in Leslie every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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