Reed City, the county seat of Osceola County, is a microcosm of the broader challenges that rural communities face in terms of food security. In most rural counties in the United States, a higher percentage of people struggle to pay for food and other basic necessities because there are fewer well-paying jobs and higher food and transportation costs. According to 2023 Map the Meal Gap data, approximately 3,980 (17%) of Osceola County’s 23,122 residents are food insecure, including 1,040 children.
Yet, for every rural county that needs charitable food, there are organizations and volunteers who step up to help their neighbors. In Reed City, Church of the Nazarene and partners are there to provide a lifeline to their community.
Once a month on Tuesday evenings, the Church of the Nazarene’s mobile pantry coordinator Ted Lehnen and volunteers prepare for a food distribution as the parking lot in front of the church’s covered portico fills with vehicles belonging to visitors waiting for their pre-packed food. On some occasions, including a recent distribution, neighbors arrive as early as nine hours in advance.
“Some folks are determined to be first in line,” Ted said. “The trade-off, of course, is waiting all day—but they’re willing to do it. Typically, about three-quarters of people are here by 4:30 [for a 5 p.m. distribution], and the rest continue to arrive after that.”
Although extremely serious financial circumstances drive mobile pantry attendance, there are other, more overlooked but potentially important factors such as trust. The Church of the Nazarene and its mobile pantry operation have earned community trust through more than 28 years of service. Within that 28-year period, Church of the Nazarene has provided food assistance to hundreds of families. While attendance varies from distribution to distribution, the number of families served has consistently remained in the hundreds.
“Some months we’ve served as many as 300 families, which is the highest number we’ve reached,” Lehnen said. “Other months, that number has been closer to 120 families, while some fall somewhere in between, around 196. Attendance fluctuates from month to month, but overall, I’d estimate we average about 175 families.”
Backed by a long-established partnership with Feeding America West Michigan’s Cadillac Branch, a 26-by-53-foot Feeding America West Michigan truck pulls in stocked with a wide selection of items, including beans, fruit, yogurt, and other staples.
The church also works with local companies for volunteers and financial support. Lactalis, which acquired Reed City’s Yoplait manufacturing facility nearly a year ago, has stepped up to support the Church of the Nazarene’s mobile pantry.
“Yoplait sends us volunteers, and they really want to be involved,” said Lehnen. “Our church provides the rest of the volunteers. It really seems like all of this has grown out of the relationship we’ve built with Feeding America West Michigan.”
Community Voices on the Pantry’s Impact
Rebecca, an Osceola County resident, sees the pantry as more than source of food; it’s also a steady support system. Disabled and living on a limited income, she explains that the food assistance she receives “only goes so far,” making the pantry essential for her to receive high-quality foods. When family members are unable to help her, she turns to the mobile food pantry at the Nazarene Church for support.
“I rely on the mobile pantry to supplement with fresh fruits, vegetables, and bread. As someone with diabetes, that support makes a difference,” she said, adding, “I look forward to coming here for conversations with people. The minister is really nice and goes around to talk to us. “
We thank the Osceola Community Foundation for its support to make mobile food distributions possible for our neighbors in Osceola County.