This browser does not support the Video element.
Oakland Hope's Food Pantry in danger of closing
Despite past grants and support from the city and county, the food pantry is struggling to keep up with soaring costs, and now the founder is hoping for help from the community.
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - It's been a lifeline for thousands in Pontiac, but now, the Oakland Hope Food Pantry could be days away from shutting down.
Despite past grants and support from the city and county, the food pantry is struggling to keep up with soaring costs, and now the founder is hoping for help from the community.
Local perspective:
The Oakland Hope Food Pantry has been serving Pontiac for nearly 13 years. Pastor Jim Norman is the operations manager for the pantry.
"When it gets time to open up at 11 o'clock, we are ready to go," said Norman. "It's like home away from home. It means the world."
Their team caters to families often ineligible for SNAP benefits or simply struggling to make ends meet. Founder and executive director Norma Okonski says when the operation started, they served 8,000 people a month.
"Now we're at 16,000 people a month. That's hungry children, seniors, veterans, and immigrants who depend on us every single week," Okonski said.
Big picture view:
With growing demand, food inflation, and building costs, Okonski worries her food haven won't be around much longer. She set up a GoFundMe page, hoping the community would chip in.
"This has all been out of pocket since day one, and once this perfect storm hit, we could see it on the horizon. That's why we've reached out to the county, reached out to the city, reached out to the state, reached out to businesses, reached out to churches, and they're slow to the party," she said.
What they're saying:
FOX 2 reached out to the city of Pontiac and got a statement:
"We certainly value the work that Oakland Hope and similar organizations are doing in the community. Unfortunately, our funding options are limited to grant programs, and the reality is that there are more requests for financial assistance than the grant programs can provide."
Oakland County responded with a similar statement, saying in part:
"Oakland Hope is seeking $30,000 per month in ongoing county support, which is a significant and recurring public investment. With the end of federal pandemic relief dollars and increasing fiscal constraints such as cuts in federal funding, the county does not have unrestricted funds for monthly subsidies. We remain committed to working with Oakland Hope to explore sustainable solutions and partnerships that can help them continue serving our community effectively."
Oakland Hope volunteers are still holding on to just that: hope. Norman is hoping to raise enough money to at least get through this year.
"I have stage four cancer. I do chemo three days a week, but you know God still gives me the strength and ability to come here. I wouldn't do it any other way," said Norman.