Lake County Area Churches Charities

OVER 2023 THE BREAD OF LIFE PANTRY (BOL) RECEIVED & FILLED 8,250 FAMILY UNIT REQUESTS, AFFECTING 29,716 PEOPLE FOR FOOD REQUESTS. THIS RESULTED IN OVER 24,750 BAGS OF GROCERIES GIVEN OUT & DISTRIBUTING 262 PALLETS OF DONATED FOOD, NOT INCLUDING THE MANY INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS RECEIVED. THE PREPARATION & VOLUNTEER HOURS WERE OVER 8,274 HOURS. THIS MEANT THAT 13,308 TIMES CHILDREN HAD FOOD, 6,319 SENIORS HAD FOOD, 1,239 VETERANS WERE SERVED, 318 HOMELESS WERE SERVED. THE PANTRY WAS OPEN EVERY WED. OF THE YEAR, FROM 11-4PM. PATRONS WERE ENCOURAGED TO REQUEST FOOD EACH WEEK WITHOUT ANY LIMIT TO THE NUMBER TO TIMES THEY COULD COME & RECEIVE FOOD. EVEN SO, 78% OF ALL FAMILY UNITS ONLY MADE USE OF THE PANTRY 1X EACH MONTH. NO ONE WAS EVER TURNED AWAY WITHOUT BEING SERVED. THE PANTRY IS A PANTRY OF CHOICE. A WEEKLY FOOD ITEM LIST IS PROVIDED & TURNED IN TO AN ALL VOLUNTEER STAFF TO FILL THE SHOPPING LIST. OUR PATRON REQUESTS GREW BY 26% OVER 2022. OUR WEEKLY REQUESTS GREW FROM 148 TO 179 AVERAGING EACH WEEK. THE PANTRY OPERATES WITH 100% VOLUNTEER SERVICE & LABOR. THERE ARE NO PAID STAFF. THERE IS A TEAM OF 5-8 SHOPPERS TO FILL IN THE GAPS TO PROVIDE HEALTHY ABUNDANT SUPPLIES. THERE IS A TEAM OF 15-20 TO UNLOAD BI-WEEKLY DONATIONS FROM A FOOD SUPPLIER SOME 100 MILES AWAY. THERE ARE 5-10 VOLUNTEERS WHO STOCK THE SHELVES & ANOTHER 6-12 WHO FILL THE GROCERY LISTS. THE PANTRY OPERATES BY VOLUNTEERS & IS FUNDED ENTIRELY THROUGH DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS & THEIR TRUSTS WITH GRANT SUPPORT FROM SOME COMMUNITY, INDIVIDUALS, FAITH COMMUNITIES & FOUNDATIONAL GRANTS & TRUSTS. BOL HAS A LARGE LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORT, PLUS IS AGGRESSIVE IN IT'S GRANT SEEKING & PROCUREMENT. WE RAISED OVER $100,000 IN THE POOREST COUNTY IN MI. THE BOL RECEIVED THE GOVENOR'S SERVICE AWARD & THE DIRECTOR RECEIVED IN 2022 THE MI GOVERNNOR'S HERO AWARD.