Lakes Area Food Shelf and Grace United Methodist Church in Pequot Lakes donate 160 Thanksgiving meals

PEQUOT LAKES — Volunteers from the Lakes Area Food Shelf and Grace United Methodist Church in Pequot Lakes packed 160 Thanksgiving baskets Sunday, Nov. 20.

Turkeys; stuffing mix; fresh yams, potatoes, onions, celery and apples; dinner rolls; pumpkin pie filling; fresh baked cookies; and more were distributed Monday, Nov. 21.

“Seeing the faces, joyful tears and smiles of our friends and neighbors as they receive food to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for their families brings gratitude and humility to all of us,” Lakes Area Food Shelf Director Kathy Adams said in a news release.

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“We work hard to address hunger by offering food to our friends and neighbors, but equally important — we offer community,” Adams said.

Bill Tollefson, outreach community member with Grace United Methodist Church, said in the release: “Grace United Methodist Church is fortunate to have the Lakes Area Food Shelf located right at the south edge of the church’s campus. We are so pleased to be focusing some of Grace’s outreach efforts by enhancing our working relationship with the food shelf.

"Our pastor, Jen Matthees, serves on the food shelf board, and we have focused our November mission work toward providing both volunteer help and monetary donations to support the food shelf, especially the critical Thanksgiving meal distribution," Tollefson said. "It has been such a blessing to work collaboratively in this way.”

Lakes Area Food Shelf is a community food shelf that is open to all and supported by many. Food shelf hours are 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays.

“We offer sincere appreciation to Grace United Methodist Church and all those who support Lakes Area Food Shelf so we can provide programs such as Thanksgiving boxes," Adams said. “We simply wouldn’t exist without the support of our community.”

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Those who need food assistance, who would like to financially support Lakes Area Food Shelf or who would like to volunteer, are invited to contact the food shelf at lafs1@tds.net or 218-568-8474.