ESCANABA — Food pantries in Escanaba and Gladstone continue to serve those families and individuals who need a helping hand during the coronavirus pandemic.

Escanaba Seventh-day Adventist Church is providing food boxes at its food pantry, located at 210 S. Lincoln Rd. The Adventist Community Services Food Pantry is open Mondays and Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. They can be reached at 906-212-2272 and on their Facebook page EscanabaACS.

Thursday, April 9, between 3 and 6 p.m. the Adventist Community Services are hosting a mobile pantry with the Hannahville Indian Community in the parking lot of the Island Resort and Casino, located at W 399 US 2, Harris. Anyone in Delta and Menominee counties were eligible to pick up a food box during that time, according to Food Pantry Director Robin Wycoff. Volunteers had pre-packaged boxes ready for distribution.

No more than two people were allowed in each vehicle, representing two families. People were asked to arrive no earlier than 3 p.m. and to stay in their vehicle. Each vehicle had to be open and have a spot clear for the volunteer to place the box inside. If there is was not a clear place to put the food box, the driver was asked to leave the line to clear a spot and continue to the end of the line. After the food was placed in the vehicle, drivers were asked to drive away from the mobile food pantry to close their vehicle.

Pastor Daniel Rodriguez volunteers time when he can and said he and the volunteers have missed talking with people when they would come into the pantry to get their box together. Due to the coronavirus pandemic boxes are made up before people arrive and they do not get to enter the food pantry to decide what they want.

“The donations we receive have held steady so far, but the need at the food pantry has more than doubled,” said Rodriguez.

Escanaba Salvation Army Major Alex Norton said they have teamed with Oven King to offer pizzas to families visiting the pantry. Patrons of Oven King can say they want to pay their points forward and Oven King will give the Salvation Army a $25 gift card to forward to a family.

“The first day I heard it started off with a bang,” said Norton. “We’ll know how it all turns out the end of April.”

The facility continues to be in total quarantine. Clients receive food in containers at the entrance and food pantry items are provided to people without entering the building for any length of time.

“We have seen a major up-tick … new clients, people I haven’t seen before are coming here,” said Norton. “The soup kitchen attendance has gone up … Normally we serve 60 people and now we are serving an average of 88 people.”

Salvation Army employees and volunteers take social measures seriously and one way was to reduce paperwork.

“As I said before, paperwork has been reduced to aid in this new process,” said Norton.

According to Norton, donations have held steady.

“We just received a large donation from Meijer, and Elmer’s gift cards from an anonymous donor,” he said.

The Salvation Army of Escanaba is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an hour lunch between noon and 1 p.m. It is located at 3001 5th Ave. S., Escanaba. For additional information call 906-786-0590.

The Hope at the Inn (HATI) shelter will close April 11, according to Norton. The shelter will re-open around November.

“This is the time we normally close the inn, but this year we’re really pushing to place people,” Norton said.

Escanaba St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) food pantry continues to operate from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The SVdP Service Center is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both will be closed April 10 in observance of Good Friday.

The warehouse and store are both closed until April 13. For more information call 906-789-1434.

St. Vincent de Paul Society’s food pantry in Gladstone, located at 816 Delta Ave., the parking lot side of the store, continues to serve the public the best they can. The food pantry is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 906-428-9690 to make arrangements for food pantry items to be picked up, or ascertain if you qualify.