MONROE, Michigan — A southeast Michigan car dealership is encouraging the community to support a food pantry in need with a chance to win tickets to a Tigers game.
The incentive comes after Oaks Village food pantry in Monroe put out a call for action on social media. The pantry's president says there's been an increase in need and it's only expected to grow.
Workers at CR Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Adrian set up a food drive and said if you make a donation, you get entered to win.
After volunteering for the Oaks Village food pantry in Monroe for two months, Lamont Shufford said he noticed shelves that were once full are now half empty.
"We just got some stuff in, but as you can see it didn't fill up the stack," Shufford said.
Shufford said hunger led him to a life of crime.
"When I was 16, I did an armed robbery. I ended up doing 20 years altogether and it was because I had to feed myself, I had to feed my family," Shufford said.
He said he now volunteers at this church and food pantry because it taught him how to ask for help and that hard times don't have to be a life sentence. But the nonprofit needs help meeting the demand.
Pastor Heather Boone said the Oaks Village pantry has given away more than 2,000 boxes of food in the last two months. In comparison, it averaged 100 boxes monthly.
She said with kids getting out of school, more donations are needed.
"The kids in this community in Monroe, they get free breakfast and free lunch and so now that school ends tomorrow, I'm just hoping that we will be able to keep up with the need so that kids won't be hungry," Boone said.
Jessica Liner, a car salesman at the CR Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Adrian, heard Oak Village's call for help. The dealership is now accepting can goods, box foods and other pantry nonperishables.
"When I see their post about needing help it tugs at my heartstrings. I have friends that were homeless before and I know, especially since the pandemic, it's been rough out here for folks," Linser said. "And I just want to make a difference and help people get the food that they need to survive."
Shufford is asking folks to pay it forward.
"You have to help and provide you know it's not all about yourself it's about others too," said Lamont Shufford.
You can drop off food donations at the dealership in Adrian to be entered to win. The food drive and contest ends June 26 at 6 p.m.