TRAVERSE CITY — Area seniors begin arriving up to two hours early at the East Bay Township Hall to get a choice spot in line for a box of food.
The Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency delivers 200 to 230 commodity boxes packed with a jar of peanut butter, juice, cereal, dry pasta and other boxed foods to the township hall on the third Monday of each month.
The seniors wait patiently until their number is called, then drive their car into a line to wait for their box to be loaded into the car.
"These seniors are pretty dedicated to this," said Charles Fredell, who has worked for the program for almost two decades. "They count on it every month, and they show up."
This week, several seniors saw a bonus when they also received up to $40 in coupons to purchase fresh produce through a separate program known as Senior Project Fresh.
"The fresh food is wonderful, but the surplus they give me is welcome," said Sarah Hentschel, 81, of Williamsburg.
Lori Wells, director of Grand Traverse County's senior center network, said she distributed the Project Fresh Coupons at the commodity food distribution because she knew everyone there qualified.
"These seniors are the poorest of the poor," Wells said.
To qualify for commodity boxes, a person needs to be at least 60 years old and have income below $1,211 a month for a single person or $1,657 for a household of two.
Fredell, community services representative for the program, covers 10 counties in northwest Michigan and delivers food four days a week, three weeks a month.
"I don't know the numbers, but it's a lot of food," Fredell said.
Most people learn about the program through other agencies or by word of mouth, Fredell said. The program has grown with the area's population, but it isn't subject to the ups and downs of the economy.
Death, sickness and failing memories cause the greatest fluctuation in the number of people who show up, he said. Unemployment has little impact.
For more information about the supplemental commodity food program contact Fredell at (231) 775-8330.
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Related Photos
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Charles Fredell loads boxes of supplemental commodity foods for seniors into a waiting line of cars at the East Bay Township Hall. Record-Eagle/Brian McGillivary
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