Harley owners deliver trailers stuffed with food for Salvation Army
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Would you say 'No' to a leather-wearing Harley guy?
Well, neither did the Salvation Army Food Pantry, when members of the Northern Chapter of the Harley Owners Group showed up with two trailers stuffed with food for their shelves. Last month, Harley riders from around the region staffed barrels outside of two Oleson's Stores locations. For two Saturdays, members in full Harley regalia personally asked shoppers to make a donation to the pantry. On days in between, the barrels were located outside the store to accept donations.
Few shoppers refused their plea to help hungry people in the region.
"Maybe it was because we were dressed in our leathers," joked Eric Fischer, one of the group's road captains. "It was like, 'We want you to donate!'"
"They [the Salvation Army] were so surprised, because we pulled it together within about two weeks and we really didn't expect to do nearly as good as we did," he added.
Good is an understatement as they filled the food pantry, with food overflowing the shelves. For hungry people in the area, this will be a real boon, said Major Thomas Riggs of the Salvation Army.
"We have a year-round need for food," Riggs said. "We have a lot more that comes in around the holiday season but we need food year round."
"This is just a blessing," he added, of the recent Harley food drive.
The Harley Owners Group decided to conduct the food drive after a member informed them that the organization needed help. They learned that the group lost United Way funding, crimping their service offerings. The riders had previously participated in Muscular Dystrophy Association rides and fund-raisers for the Father Fred Foundation. They decided to tackle this cause before the holiday season.
"We just decided to take it and see what we could do to help them out," said Raggs Mack, director of the chapter who has been riding motorcycles for 34 years. "This is the first time that I've worked on something like that and we had people coming out and thanking us for being there and doing this."
Riggs said that the Salvation Army provides a variety of social services, including rent, utility and mortgage assistance as well as clothing, food, prescriptions, emergency transportation and housing. The organization served more than 10,000 clients in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties.
When an individual or family comes in because of hunger, the pantry works to give them enough food to last for a while. They pack grocery bags with an assortment of canned goods, meat and vegetables, as well as macaroni. The food pantry also offers vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetables when it can and gives away bread, cakes and pastries donated daily from local grocery stores.
"We try to give away a week's worth of food at a time to provide assistance," said Riggs, noting the Salvation Army has been in Traverse City since 1893. "For many it is just temporary but for some elderly who are on fixed incomes it becomes not a mainstay but a definite support."
The Salvation Army Food Pantry is located at 1239 Barlow in Traverse City. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact a Salvation Army Representative at 946-4664.
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