Nearly 10,000 diapers givento LCN Baby Pantry.

otherwise likely go hungry over the weekend. The food from Biab means they can return to school on Monday

volunteers as Baby Boomers retire here and I welcome each and every one of them with appreciation for their commitment to LCN. As an all-volunteer As an all-volunteer agency we always need additional help. Currently we especially need more assistance with fundraising and food pantry management as well as more general volunteers.more general volunteers. This fall we will implement a new fundraising approach. For now I have to keep it a secret. Watch for an announcement in a few weeks. I promise it will be a ball.a ball. After just a few months as president I have a much deeper appreciation for all our volunteers, our board members, our member churches, the church representatives and all the church members who give church members who give time, food, materials and money. Then there are the community groups who spontaneously donate, led by the Suttons Bay – Leelanau Rotary, now the major sponsor of BiaB. LCN is grateful. Thank LCN is grateful. Thank you all.

Cordially,

Mary Hallett StantonPresident

Dear Friends,

It’s already been an exciting year for LCN and I’m looking forward to more on the horizon. Adopting the LCN Baby Adopting the LCN Baby Pantry is right at the top of the list. Welcoming that ministry into our extended family of programs has been a true pleasure. It is such a good fit with It is such a good fit with our food pantries and the Blessings in a Backpack program. And the need is large. I hope you will read the I hope you will read the articles on the baby pantry for a brief introduction to some of the issues facing struggling young families who have babies and toddlers. I see more growth ahead I see more growth ahead for the food pantries and BiaB. These programs are doing a tremendous job helping neighbors in need who have found us. The issue is how to reach The issue is how to reach those who haven’t found us yet. That could be as much as three times the demand we already meet, according to estimates from Feeding America. We must reach out.out. Our Neighborhood Assistance Ministry is vital to so many families in our community. A most vivid example is the struggle with the spike in propane prices this past winter. We continue to get new We continue to get new

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at the VFW Hall #7731 in Lake Leelanau. A social hour begins at 5:30 and dinner begins at 6:30. Catered by Trish’s Dishes, Catered by Trish’s Dishes, the dinner is complete with beverages including beer and wine. Entertainment will be Entertainment will be provided and there will be a silent auction. Tickets are just $35 per person. Call 650-533-1400.

ready to focus on learning. “When we started in the fall of 2012 we helped about 80 kids,” says LCN President Mary Hallett Stanton. “We’re elated to grow this program so much so quickly. We know these kids need the food.” Outgoing Suttons Bay Public Schools Outgoing Suttons Bay Public Schools Superintendent Mike Murray praises the program for not only meeting students’ basic needs but also for providing moral support. “It provides students with the idea that “It provides students with the idea that their community cares, that there are adults out there who are concerned about them and their welfare,” Murray says. “It’s hard for us to imagine that in the “It’s hard for us to imagine that in the world today we have students who would go a whole weekend without food. But that is the case,” he says. “We have over 50 of our students here in “We have over 50 of our students here in Suttons Bay who, if it weren’t for the Blessings in a Backpack program, would not eat.” BiaB co-chair Jo Walker looks forward to BiaB co-chair Jo Walker looks forward to serving even more kids. “Feeding America estimates that there are 750 kids in Leelanau County who don’t have enough to eat. We know there is a lot of unmet need out there.”

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Most give only five or six. “It’s important to us that we meet as much of the need as possible,” says Kingsley. “A recent study shows that “A recent study shows that clean diapers are a critical part of a baby’s normal development.” Diapers also help prevent Diapers also help prevent health risks such as infections that can actually threaten a baby’s life, Kingsley says. “The research even linked “The research even linked diapers with a mother’s mental health and the entire family’s well-being. “So even though we are “So even though we are more generous than other baby pantries in the region we see a very real need to do even more.”

Keswick United Methodist Pastor Patti Haas and LCN Baby Pantry Manager Maria Kingsley collect contributions to the recent diaper drive. Keswick led LCN Keswick led LCN member churches with 1,218 diapers donated. Thanks to all member Thanks to all member churches as well as other donation box locations at the Leland Mercantile, Tom’s in Northport and Hansen’s in Suttons Bay.

Thanks to the generosity of congregations in 13 member churches the LCN Baby Pantry’s annual diaper drive netted 6,573 diapers in April and May! Participants at the Genuine Participants at the Genuine Leelanau event in June added another 3,417. The grand total is 9,990 diapers! At the current average rate of use that’s about a four to five-month supply. “We give mothers a certain “We give mothers a certain number of diapers depending on the size their child needs,” says baby pantry manager Maria Kingsley. “We give 15 diapers for “We give 15 diapers for size 1 and 2, 10 diapers for sizes 3 through 5, and five diapers for size 6 and toddler per week.” Based on a typical child’s Based on a typical child’s needs this amounts to about a two-day supply for a usual week. Most baby pantries in the Most baby pantries in the greater Grand Traverse area allow their families to come only once a month. The maximum number of diapers they give is 10.

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by Mary Hallett Stanton

LCN started Blessings in a LCN started Blessings in a Backpack in 2012 after realizing that there were kids in the county going hungry on the weekends during the school year. As we started putting the As we started putting the program together the Omena Women’s Club heard about it and jumped right in. President Judy Smart and President Judy Smart and Vice President Marcia Biskupski met with us and said, “How can OWC help feed these kids?” Since that first week of Since that first week of sending food home to the children a member of OWC helps pack the bags and then delivers the bags to Northport Public School and also to the Leelanau Children’s Center in Children’s Center in Northport. Along with helping us with

the physical aspect of the program the members individually have brought in fresh food such as bananas, oranges, clementines and apples which the kids really love!As if this isn’t enough the As if this isn’t enough the club donates some of its membership dues to the

program as do the individual members. A little club (well, maybe not so little with 40 members) making a BIG impact!Thank you members of the Thank you members of the Omena Women’s Club for stepping up and making a difference in the lives of so many children!

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LCNProgramProfile

Since its adoption in February the LCN Baby Pantry has been growing as quickly as the infants and toddlers it serves. Operated for eight years as Operated for eight years as a ministry of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Suttons Bay, the baby pantry physically moved to LCN offices and opened here on February 3. Beginning with an average Beginning with an average of 25 – 30 babies who used about 350 diapers each week the baby pantry reached an average of 40 babies and 500 diapers weekly by early summer. “The need has been as “The need has been as high as 650 diapers in some weeks,” says manager Maria Kingsley. “We know some of that is a seasonal influence. The expectation is the demand will be strong for the rest of the year.”for the rest of the year.” In addition to diapers the pantry provides wipes, cream, formula and baby food, gently used clothing

through toddler size 4 and new or gently used toys. “Another important aspect “Another important aspect is the opportunity for mothers to connect with Parenting Communities coordinators,” Kingsley says. “The coordinators help “The coordinators help mothers with child development and parenting issues. They also help neighbors connect with health care and other human services they may need.”need.” In June the baby pantry moved into larger quarters at LCN offices. The new

space provides additional room for high-volume items such as diapers and clothing as well as storage for seasonal clothing and supplies. “We are tremendously “We are tremendously thankful for the dedication and stewardship of Immanuel Lutheran for shepherding the baby pantry for all those years,” says LCN President Mary Hallett Stanton.Hallett Stanton. “We are also pleased to welcome several new volunteers who are committed to meeting this critical need.”

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LCNVolunteerP R O F I L E

We have a very quick and easy way to sign up for our email list. We ask only your email address, your name, whether you are a donor or volunteer or both, and whether you prefer getting our emails as formatted our emails as formatted newsletters or as plain text.

Here’s the address:

http://eepurl.com/ND319

Thank you for helping us make our donations go even further!

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Leelanau Christian NeighborsP.O. Box 32Suttons Bay MI 49682

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