By Nicole Gearhart
Beacon Correspondent
Local fire departments will again join forces on Saturday, Dec. 6, for the annual Fill the Fire Trucks food drive, held from noon to 2 p.m. within the city of Munising and in nearby communities.
Chief Ryan Anderson of the Munising Fire Department said his team looks forward to the Fill the Fire Trucks event each year.
“With the fire department, we’re always willing to help however we can. Whatever we can do for the community, we do our best to do,” Anderson said. “And the community is very, very generous.”
Anderson said in addition to the donations given each year, the community is also generous with its time. He said that the departments are often joined by community members interested in helping, as well as high school students from groups like athletic teams, National Honor Society and student council.
Anyone interested in helping with the food drive can join the fire department members at either the Munising Fire Hall, Munising Township Fire Hall or Christmas Fire Hall by 11:45 a.m. on Dec. 6.
Trucks will also be out in areas such as Wetmore, Alger Heights, Irish Hills, Au Train, Christmas, Connors, Miller, Gates Road and 16 Mile Lake.
“It’s pretty nice to see the people in the community; the amount they donate and their willingness to help,” said Justen Knuttila, Au Train Township Fire Department assistant chief. “And this lets the community see that we’re there and we’re willing to help.”
Dave Fulcher, assistant chief of the Munising Fire Department and organizer of the food drive, said this event has been helping equip local food pantries for more than a decade, and the assistance is always well received.
“The people at St. Vincent de Paul and the Community Food Pantry really appreciate it,” Fulcher said. “It really helps fill their shelves.”
Fulcher said while they appreciate all donations, there is sometimes confusion about the cans they are looking for during the drive. The group will be accepting non-perishable food items and monetary donations but are not looking for recyclable aluminum cans at this time. He mentioned that it’s also important to look at expiration dates on food being donated.
Those interested in donating can either look for the trucks on Dec. 6 as they make their way through town and give the food to them directly, or can leave a bag of non-perishable items on their porch or near their mailbox to be picked up.
“It’s a lot of effort — a lot of community effort — so we really appreciate that,” said John Sherman-Jones, manager of the Alger Community Food Pantry.
Sherman-Jones added that this year has been particularly tough for people between things like federal cutbacks to food programs, higher heating costs and prices of groceries going up.
“It’s all added up to the perfect storm for a lot of people who are having trouble making ends meet,” Sherman-Jones said.
In addition to food items, Sherman-Jones said the pantry is also grateful for donations of things like personal hygiene products — including shampoo and deodorant — toilet paper and household cleaning supplies.
“It’s a big deal. There’s a lot of need for it in the community for sure,” said Ty Nesberg, Munising Township Fire Department chief, adding that anyone can be put in the position where they rely on their neighbors for assistance. “You don’t know when you could be down on your luck and you might need help. Things can change with the flip of a switch.”