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Volunteer Voices

(Left to right) Rita Thompson, Ruth Kerscher, Dorothy Regner, Helga Bobb, Wendy Corcoran, Betty Evenson, Nancy Fauser, and Sandy Hilmer all give of their time at the Lakeshore CAP Food Pantry in Sturgeon Bay. (Not pictured: Sue Serrahn.)

Time and time again, the ladies of the Lakeshore Community Action Program (CAP) Food Pantry say they hear it – “I never thought that I’d be here.” But with remarkable grace and pride, they lead those needing food through the shelves and freezers of the pantry talking about recipes and how to prepare certain items. It’s what they love to do; some of them know what it feels like to be in that position.

The nine ladies who work tirelessly to keep things clean, stock shelves, sort, file and keep statistics, all know that what they do is incredibly important to those they serve. “Some people come in just to talk and for a hug – they need hugs,” one volunteer commented. “A lot of times, we have seasonal items and people just don’t know how to use them. We’ll copy recipes for them or give them simple instructions on how to use something. When they come back, they tell us all about how it turned out.”

The generosity of the Door County community cannot go without notice as many restaurants, bakeries, farms and organizations give bread, vegetables, fish and wild game to the food pantry to help stock its shelves. Betty, one of the volunteers at the food pantry, spends most of her volunteer time tending to her garden at home. All that her garden produces comes back to the food pantry so that she can help in providing fresh and nutritious food to the pantry’s clients.

The “Ladies of Lakeshore CAP’s Food Pantry” make sure to let every client know about the “process” (which amounts to filling out a very simple form) and then go about their jobs in hopes of making everyone feel comfortable. “People like the idea of coming in and getting to actually ‘shop’ for their food. They can pick out what their families like and what they know they will eat,” states a volunteer.

People may not know about the Lakeshore CAP Food Pantry or about the work that’s done there, but rest assured, these ladies are giving from their hearts to a group of people who need it most. “You never know when this could be you,” one said. “We do it because we can and because they need us to.”

The Lakeshore CAP Food Pantry, located at 131 S. Third Ave, is open every Tuesday and Thursday for pick up from 11 am – 4 pm. If you are interested in assisting Lakeshore CAP Food Pantry or would like to donate to their mission, please contact Sandi Soik at 920.743.0192 or via email at [email protected].

For volunteer opportunities at other nonprofit organizations in Door County, please visit http://www.VolunteerDoorCounty.com or contact the Volunteer Center at 920.746.7704.