News & Stories
Extending a Hand, Filling a Pantry
Image credit: Acme Christian Thrift Store and Food Pantry
Image description: A visitor selects groceries from stocked pantry shelves at Acme Christian Thrift Store and Food Pantry, where families can access a variety of food and household essentials.
Acme Christian Thrift Store and Food Pantry (ACTS) volunteers in Williamsburg are providing more food assistance than ever before. The organization, which offers ample pantry staples, financial aid, and a thrift store with quality used items, supplied groceries for 355 visits to their food pantry in November 2025, far exceeding their average for previous months.
“Where we live, there’s a lot of prosperity, but also a lot of need,” said Board President Gary Chenoweth. “We’re lucky so many benevolent community members are willing to share their resources.”
Most ACTS’ support comes from private donations, but they also rely on support from community organizations. In 2025, ACTS received one of our Community Funds grants to purchase supplies for the food pantry after they bought a used work truck that depleted resources they use to feed neighbors.
ACTS volunteers serve community members in Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Antrim counties. The pallets of foodstuffs they buy each week are supplemented by fresh food from Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan. Each family can pick up groceries twice per month, including staple items like pasta and breads, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and dairy items. Gary described the food quality and quantity at ACTS as “incredible,” saying a family of four could leave the pantry with around six to eight bags of groceries. Community members with incomes up to 200% of the poverty level are welcome at the food pantry.
“One thing I’ve learned since participating in ACTS is that it’s unbelievable how many of our neighbors are working yet still struggling,” Gary said. “They may have multiple jobs, but they still don’t have enough income to feed their families. That’s why we don’t just stop aid at the poverty level.”
Along with a well-stocked thrift store, ACTS also provides financial assistance. Gary said the organization will spend the entirety of their assistance budget helping hundreds of families pay basic bills like rent and utilities to help them maintain housing.
“Oftentimes we’ll get someone in the pantry asking for help because they’re about to be evicted,” Gary explained. “Or our Director of Operations, Carol Hockin, will get a call from someone whose gas is about to be shut off. We offer financial assistance that can be supplemented by other organizations.”
Our Board Director Lauren Clark, who resides in Kalkaska County, deeply appreciates the work of ACTS. As an Offender Success Reentry Resource Specialist with Networks Northwest, she works to help community members find jobs and housing after incarceration and she interacts frequently with the nonprofit.
“ACTS volunteers are so kind and generous,” Lauren said. “They allow me to pick up food for clients who don’t have transportation, and they’re just wonderful. They always treat people with dignity and strive to meet them where they are.”
Lauren said she’s amazed to see how far ACTS volunteers can stretch their funds, relying on local knowledge and partners to find the freshest groceries at the best prices.
“Even small donations to the Community Foundation or local nonprofits can compound and affect hundreds or even thousands of community members,” Lauren noted.
Gary believes that demand for ACTS’ services may increase as time goes on, but he and other Board members are prepared. They plan to maintain vigorous fundraising outreach and to apply for more grants in the future.
“We’re so blessed to have an organization like the Community Foundation in our region,” Gary shared. “They provide resources about how to apply for grants and steer you towards the one that best suits your needs. They’re an integral part in the whole fabric making sure community members have access to the resources they need.”
Writer: Jen DeMoss