St. Mark’s Church gives $5,000 to Crystal Falls food pantry

A $5,000 donation from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Crystal Falls gave the local St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry a direct boost at a time when summer budgets are tight and school meals are off the table. The check, presented by Peg Padilla, came from a grant from the M.E. Davenport Foundation of Marquette and was part of a broader local effort to keep food moving to families across Iron County.

Padilla, Teresa Flood, Louise Holmes and Heather Carpenter were present for the presentation, underscoring how much of the work in Crystal Falls rests on volunteers and small community organizations that see need up close. The money is not tied to a single pantry shelf or one meal service. It also helps support Feeding America West Michigan, the Crystal Falls Mobile Food Pantry and the Lunch Box summer feeding program, extending the impact across several points in the local food-access network.

Feeding America West Michigan says it serves West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula through community partners, with a service area that spans 40 Michigan counties. The organization’s own reporting says food insecurity in that region stood at 13.6%, a 28.6% increase from the year before, and that every county in its service area saw more people facing hunger. Its mobile pantries distribute fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and other staples at no cost to people who need them.

That statewide and regional pressure lands hard in places like Crystal Falls, where the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at 11 N. Fifth St. serves people on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon. The pantry remains a regular access point for food and financial aid, and donations like the one from St. Mark’s help stabilize inventory while the need stays steady.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church describes its mission as continuing Christ’s witness through worship, education, spiritual growth and compassionate service. Peg Padilla is listed as a contact for the church, which fits the practical side of this donation: a local congregation, a regional foundation and pantry volunteers working together so aid reaches families where it is needed most.

The need has been visible in other local efforts as well. A Crystal Falls food drive collected more than 150 pounds of food for St. Vincent de Paul pantries and a Feeding America mobile pantry, and a separate pantry fundraiser once topped its goal by gathering 89,100 pennies. Feeding America West Michigan has also tied the M.E. Davenport Foundation to a $10,000 matching gift for an Upper Peninsula anti-hunger campaign, showing how outside dollars are being pushed through local hands to reach Crystal Falls, Iron County and neighboring communities.