EMPTY BOWLS, FULL HEARTS

Wow - thanks to each and every person who supported LFC during our Empty Bowls fundraising event and auction. The Food Club is a community effort, and it is clear that Mason County truly cares for its neighbors in need. Special thanks to our auction donors, ticket holders, bidders, amazing musician, ceramics artists, retail partners, decorators and of course our incredible volunteer committee and event staff.

The Best Soup award went to Q Smokehouse's Chicken Corn Chowder; fantastic offerings were also provided by Jamesport Brewing Co., Ludington Bay, PM Steamers and Scotty's. It was a wonderful evening of food, fun, music and community, and plans are already in the works to make this an annual event!

One last shout out to our event sponsors: FloraCraft, Metalworks, Safe Harbor Credit Union, John & Karen Kosniewski - plus the generous dollar for dollar match from Pennies From Heaven Foundation! 

FAREWELL FROM SARAH

This week closes out my tenure at the Food Club, and as the kids these days say, I'm feeling all the feels. I will greatly miss working with the team of committed, passionate folks who have shaped the Food Club into a welcoming go-to source for local food assistance. Extra special public recognition and thanks to my teammate, Kate Lietz, who helped guide the ship as we chartered waters unknown. While it’s safe to say each day at LFC is truly unique, I leave the Food Club with great assurance in the volunteers, staff, board of directors, and donors who bring so much heart to this place.

A big hello and the warmest of welcomes to the new Executive Director, O’Nealya Gronstal. LFC is in capable hands and I am fully confident O’Nealya will further the mission of the Food Club and its service to the community.

My deepest gratitude goes out to each person who has put their energy into this beautiful operation and I will forever cherish our shared accomplishments.

Fond farewell,

Sarah McMahon

Editor's note: We wish Sarah all the best as the next phase of her journey begins. Join us for a last walk down memory lane: it's LFC's "Taste of the Lakeshore" promo video from 2018. :) On behalf of the entire LFC family, thank you for your friendship and leadership, Sarah!

WELCOME O'NEALYA 

Announcing LFC's new Executive Director, O'Nealya Gronstal! Learn a bit about O'Nealya as she takes the helm at LFC:

Greetings from Indianapolis! By the time you will read this I will have met many of you at the Empty Bowls fundraiser and will have officially began serving the wonderful people of Mason County as the Lakeshore Food Club Executive Director. My name is O’Nealya Gronstal and I am honored and humbled to serve you. 

Allow me a moment to answer the first question that I am assuming you have: Why did someone from Indianapolis apply for and accept a position in Ludington? The answer is simple. Ludington is home for us. We started by increasing your local tourist revenue each year, especially during the week of July 4th. But each goodbye got harder and harder until last year, when we decided to never say goodbye again and purchased our home in Ludington. 

While the beautiful sunsets over Lake Michigan may have been our first draw to this amazing community, it has been the people, sense of community, family centeredness, and overall quality of life that called us home. It has been our family’s desire to move to our happy place full time so we can live out our calling to serve the people here. 

My passion and drive are to serve the marginalized and vulnerable and to be a voice to those who don’t think they have a voice. During the last three and half years I served at Wheeler Mission, the largest and most established homeless shelter in Indianapolis. I had the privilege of being their Director of Community Engagement. A job I loved, working for an organization that I love.

WOMEN WHO CARE OF MASON COUNTY

Women Who Care of Mason County selected Lakeshore Food Club as their designated charity! On February 4, the group held its quarterly meeting at United Methodist Church. Representatives of three organizations presented their cases for support – one organization being the Lakeshore Food Club.  LFC volunteer Mel Bradley led the charge, with several meeting participants lending support. And the Lakeshore Food Club received the most votes that evening!

Women Who Care of Mason County is a group of nearly 150 ladies that meets four times a year. At these meetings members nominate organizations to be considered for support. Three are selected at each meeting, and the nominating Women Who Care members make short presentations. Members in attendance then vote for their choice of the most compelling case for support. Each member, whether or not in attendance, agrees to contribute $50 to the selected charity. LFC previously received support from Women Who Care in the fall of 2017. Thank you ladies!