🙏🏼 Serving with Love: The Role of Eastside Soup Kitchen in Saginaw
Episode 202 • 7th March 2025 • Total Michigan • Cliff Duvernois
00:00:00 00:26:00

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In this inspiring episode of Total Michigan, we visit the Eastside Soup Kitchen in Saginaw, where Executive Director Diane Keenan shares the incredible work being done to serve the community. With a deep passion for helping those in need, Diane and her team prepare and distribute over 8,000 meals a week, ensuring that individuals and families have access to nutritious food and essential resources. We discuss the history of the soup kitchen, the challenges of funding and food supply, and the many ways volunteers and donors contribute to this life-changing mission.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

  1. The origins of the Eastside Soup Kitchen and how it has evolved since 1980.
  2. How the kitchen prepares and distributes 8,000 meals per week.
  3. Volunteer opportunities and how you can get involved.
  4. The additional services provided include medical care, clothing, and support programs.

Links:

Call to donate or volunteer: 989-755-3663

East Side Soup Kitchen Website: https://www.eastsidesoupkitchen.org/

East Side Soup Kitchen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialeastsidesoupkitchen

Subscribe to our Email Newsletter: https://totalmichigan.com/join/

Find us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/totalmichigan

Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@totalmichigan

Transcripts

Diane Keenan:

We appreciate every, size of gift that we receive.

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We have a, guest that used to eat here.

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And now they donate $5 a month.

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That 5 is like a million.

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It's what they can afford

and it's from the heart.

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So we love it.

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Cliff Duvernois: Hello everyone.

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Welcome back to Total Michigan, where

we interview ordinary Michiganders

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doing some pretty extraordinary things.

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I'm your host, Cliff DuVernois.

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This is my third time starting the show

and I'm going to get it right this time.

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I promise you.

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So I'm out and about.

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And one of the things that I like to do

is I like to go and I spend time with

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organizations out there that are making

a difference in their local community.

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A lot of people that I've had on

the show will help maybe 20 or 30

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people at a time, which is great.

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I applaud their efforts.

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But I'm always amazed at organizations

out there that are able to help

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hundreds, if not even thousands of

people day in, day out every single week.

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And this is just an

absolutely extraordinary feat.

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And to walk us through a little

bit about what that is and what

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this great organization is doing.

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I'm at the, I'm in the city of Saginaw.

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I'm at the Eastside Soup Kitchen with

the executive director, Diane Keenan.

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Diane, how are you?

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I'm doing well.

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Thank you.

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And I'm going to give you a bonus

because, like I said, this is the

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third time you've turned in the show.

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You've been so patient with me.

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So thank you for that.

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No, that's fine.

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Wonderful.

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Why don't you tell us, what

is Eastside Soup Kitchen?

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Diane Keenan: So the Eastside Soup Kitchen

is a place where you can come and you

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can be safe and you can get a hot and

nutritious meal Monday through Friday.

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We provide meals in our in house dining

room and also our drive thru service,

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which is out in our parking lot,

for people that are challenged with

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Cliff Duvernois: coming indoors.

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Certainly, and you also do, I

think you said something before

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about after school meals as well?

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Diane Keenan: Yes, we also provide

after school meals for a couple

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agencies, as well as we provide snacks,

which would be a snack and a juice or

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something, to after school programs.

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Cliff Duvernois: Okay.

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Now, how many people would

you say come through here?

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Diane Keenan: I would say on a daily basis

that come through just inside and outside.

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I'd say around 400.

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Cliff Duvernois: Okay.

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And then how many people, so then

through a week that would be, if you're

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averaging 400 a day, you're shelling out?

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Yeah, but they

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Diane Keenan: get two meals or if they

want two meals, they are able to get one

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meal that they eat here, hot nutritious.

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And then they get another meal

that is boxed up, and they can

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take it for later in the day.

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Or you will see somebody in the

dining room here sitting and eating

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their meal for a second, helping.

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Cliff Duvernois: When we talk about

the meals, is that just the people

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that are just dining in, or does

that include the drive thru as well?

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That

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Diane Keenan: includes the

drive thru as well, yes.

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Cliff Duvernois: So, then, if people

are getting two meals a day, We're

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looking at 800 meals every day.

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Yes.

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Five days a week.

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Yes.

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That's 4, 000 meals a week.

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Diane Keenan: And it depends on the

beginning of the month is a little slower.

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People that receive benefits, whether

it's disability or social security

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or whatever sometimes they're not

coming in the first week or so.

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Cliff Duvernois: Certainly.

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So then you see more people coming

in towards the end of the month.

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Yes.

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Yes.

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Okay.

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When they've

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Diane Keenan: exhausted all their funds.

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And their EBT card and such.

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Cliff Duvernois: Diane, if you would,

just tell us, where are you from?

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Where did you grow up?

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Diane Keenan: I grew up right

here in the city of Saginaw.

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Okay.

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Yes.

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Okay.

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So, it's my city.

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I love it.

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I love working in the

inner city of Saginaw.

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Um, that's where my passion is,

to help people that are in need,

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those that are underserved.

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Cliff Duvernois: Did you go

to, did you go to college, or?

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I did.

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Okay.

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Diane Keenan: Unconventional.

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What happened is I had to

drop out of high school.

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I became pregnant at a young age, uh, 16.

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And so then later on, as soon

as I turned 18, I got my GED.

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And I went on and I got my

associate's degree, my bachelor's

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degree, and my master's degree.

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So I was first in my family

to graduate from college.

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Cliff Duvernois: Now what

did you get your degree in?

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Diane Keenan: My degree is in management,

organization, organizational management.

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Cliff Duvernois: After you got

your degree, did you go right into

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working in the nonprofit space?

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Did you go into the

private sector for a while?

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Diane Keenan: No, I've

always been in the nonprofit.

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Cliff Duvernois: Okay.

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Diane Keenan: So I was in the

non, I didn't get my master's

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degree until I turned 50.

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Oh, wow.

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So yeah, very much a nontraditional

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Cliff Duvernois: student.

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And so what is it about working in

nonprofits that attracted you to it?

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Diane Keenan: people that are in

non profits care about other people,

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have empathy and want to improve

the quality of life for others.

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Cliff Duvernois: I, cause I, I ask that

question because most of the time when

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I think about people going to college

and I talk to them, they're always

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thinking about some kind of career.

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Yes.

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You know, some kind of a

six figure income, one day,

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you know, hoping for that.

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But when you go into the non profit space.

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You already know that that

option's off the table.

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It really is something

that speaks to your heart.

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Correct.

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Diane Keenan: It is.

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You have to find rewarding us

through situations of helping other

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people, interacting with people.

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It's not about the money or

benefits or anything like that.

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Cliff Duvernois: Now, how did you get

associated with the Eatside Soup Kitchen?

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Diane Keenan: When I worked

for this other non profit, it

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was called Boys and Girls Club.

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Cliff Duvernois: Okay.

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Diane Keenan: We used

to receive food Food.

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for our youth programs from

the Eastside Soup Kitchen.

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And so that developed, and

then I did some volunteer work

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at, here at the Soup Kitchen.

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And then I was asked to be

on their Board of Directors.

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And my last position on the Board

of Directors was the President.

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And at that time they were looking

for a, an Executive Director.

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And so that's how I wound

up with this position.

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Cliff Duvernois: That's incredible.

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Now, how long have you been here

at the Eastside Soup Kitchen?

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Diane Keenan: Five years.

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Five years?

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Yes.

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Okay.

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But before that, I was on the

board probably for another five.

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Cliff Duvernois: if you would, tell

us a little bit about the history

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of the Eastside Soup Kitchen.

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When was it started?

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Why was it started?

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Diane Keenan: Yeah, so the Eastside

Soup Kitchen was started in:

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It was started in a

church down the street.

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I'm told that a pastor and his wife

noticed that people were hanging

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outside and they were speaking to

them and they were told that they were

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hungry and needed something to eat.

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So they invited him to the basement

of their church, and they fed him.

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That soon grew, so they moved

to Warren Avenue Presbyterian

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Church, in the basement, and

they were there for many years.

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And then around 20 years

ago, this building was built.

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This building is called

the Hunger Solution Center.

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Mm hmm.

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And it houses Hidden Harvest,

which is a food rescue agency.

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And the Eastside Soup Kitchen.

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Cliff Duvernois: With this, was it

just, was this building built with the

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intention that the Eastside Soup Kitchen

would come here or was there other

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organizations that vied for the spot?

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Diane Keenan: No, it was built

for the two organizations.

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Cliff Duvernois: Okay.

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Now, how is it that Because I'm still

marveling at the fact that you're

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producing like 8, 000 meals a week.

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How is it that the Eastside Soup

Kitchen is working within the

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community to make sure that you

have the volume of food to come in?

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Because this is all prepared food.

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Yeah.

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This is not fast food up there.

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No, this is, yeah.

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This is like you actually cook the food.

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Right.

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You're putting the meals together

and the menu can always change.

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Correct.

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Depending on what people donate.

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So how do you, how do you do that?

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Diane Keenan: For the most

part, we purchase our food.

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Cliff Duvernois: Okay.

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Diane Keenan: And so I write a

lot of grants, a lot of grants.

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And then we also, we are blessed

to be in this building with.

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With Hidden Harvest in here

because we are able to get food

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from them on a daily basis.

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So that definitely helps with our budget.

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But as you were saying, again, our menu

may change because they may give us a

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product that we have to use the next day.

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Cliff Duvernois: Oh, yes.

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Yes.

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So, yeah.

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Diane Keenan: So we have very

creative cooks, which is very nice.

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Yes.

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Cliff Duvernois: So I imagine if, because

what you're just saying there, like you

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have to use it the next day, It's not

just canned goods that are coming in here.

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No, no, it could be

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Diane Keenan: produce,

bread, all sorts of things.

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Cliff Duvernois: Now, how do you, so

when you're coming up with the menu,

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because obviously there's, I'm thinking

about like nutritional stuff as well.

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So, how do you balance that

menu out to make sure that

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people are eating a square meal?

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Yes.

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So to speak.

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Diane Keenan: So, I work with the cooks

closely, and they're very good at putting

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a menu together that includes your

protein, that includes your vegetable,

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that includes, fruit, that type of thing,

and then when we order our food, then that

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way we are prepared to have those meals.

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And if something gets donated in a large

quantity that we can use, then we may

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switch up the menu or hold it back a day.

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Right.

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Yes.

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Cliff Duvernois: And then another

component of this is, the flip side

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of, of produce, vegetables, whatnot.

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Is I would think with that volume

of food, you also have to have

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to have the ability to store it.

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Diane Keenan: Yes.

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You

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Cliff Duvernois: know, freezers,

refrigerators, whatever that looks like.

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So talk to us about that.

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Diane Keenan: Okay.

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So that's an area that we need to upgrade.

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Cliff Duvernois: Okay,

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Diane Keenan: because we have a freezer

that we share with Hidden Harvest and

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then we have a freezer of our own.

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So when we get food donated,

we need to make sure that we

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have space to freeze that food.

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Especially near the holidays, where we get

a large donation of turkeys, or ham, etc.

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So we have to keep that in mind.

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Cliff Duvernois: when we're talking

about, because you said before that's

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an area that we need to upgrade.

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Diane Keenan: Yes.

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Cliff Duvernois: One of the

things that we could chat about

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here a little bit is the funding

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Diane Keenan: that

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Cliff Duvernois: comes in.

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Like keeping the lights on.

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Yes.

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And other things like that.

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Yes.

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I know you mentioned before about grants.

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Yes.

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But I can only imagine that grants is

just a part of the money that's coming in.

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So how does the other funding work?

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Is it purely donations?

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Do you have fundraisers

throughout the year?

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Gratefully,

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Diane Keenan: we have a community

that supports us, individuals,

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businesses, foundations, and

then we also have fundraisers.

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So we have a golf outing every

summer at the Saginaw Country Club.

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We have a fall frenzy

meal that is a fundraiser.

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And then we also have

a bowling fundraiser.

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And then we have a lot of

additional smaller fundraisers.

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Last night and next Wednesday, we

have a pasta night at a local urban

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bistro here in Saginaw, Artesian Urban

Bistro, which the food is phenomenal.

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And we have a pasta night

fundraiser, which she does for

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different nonprofits in our area.

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Yes.

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Cliff Duvernois: That's nice because

I've seen it on a couple of other

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Facebook pages for organizations.

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That they also do pasta

night for them as well.

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Yes, they do.

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And then whatever proceeds they

raid goes to the non profit.

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Diane Keenan: Yes.

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So, if you're available next

Wednesday, come out for a delicious

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meal and support the Soup Kitchen.

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Cliff Duvernois: You know, I

need to do that more often.

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Diane Keenan: Yeah.

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Because

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Cliff Duvernois: I'm a

sucker for good food.

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Yeah.

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If it helps a good cause, then why not?

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Diane Keenan: Another thing we

do is we call it Feed the Van.

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Cliff Duvernois: Okay.

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Diane Keenan: And we take our van.

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And we take it to maybe a school

or an agency or a business and

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we park it there for a day.

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And we have a information table there

set up and people drive by and bring us

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canned goods or non perishable food items.

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And people are very generous with that.

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Cliff Duvernois: And that right there,

I'm glad you pointed this out because with

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some of the other organizations that I've

talked to in the Saginaw area, They always

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comment about how the community really

steps up here, you know, and helps out

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and it, I, I say that because, granted,

a lot of other communities are the same

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way, Saginaw just seems to have this

reputation of not being the best place.

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I happen to really be fond of Saginaw.

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There's a lot of great things going on.

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How is that, just the local community,

like, there's just a person walking

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down the street, not like a business

or something else like that but

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how important is that to you?

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There's somebody who might just have 10

to donate or just a couple cans of corn.

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Diane Keenan: It is extremely

important, and we appreciate every,

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size of gift that we receive.

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We have a, guest that used to eat here.

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And now they donate $5 a month.

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That 5 is like a million.

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It's what they can afford

and it's from the heart.

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So we love it.

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Once in a while we'll have a

guest out to the drive thru and

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they may give us a few dollars.

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And it means so much at any level.

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Cliff Duvernois: Because, you know,

when we're talking about any kind of

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an organization that's doing non profit

work, literally every dollar counts.

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Diane Keenan: Yes.

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Yes.

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Cliff Duvernois: Yeah.

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Diane Keenan: And it's

the thought behind it.

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Cliff Duvernois: Beautiful

for our audience.

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We're going to take a quick

break and thank our sponsors.

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When we come back, we're going to

talk to Diane some more about the

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Eastside soup kitchen and some of

the amazing things they're doing.

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We'll see you after the break.

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Hello, everyone.

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Welcome back to Total Michigan, where

we interview ordinary Michiganders

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doing some pretty extraordinary things.

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I'm your host, Cliff DuVernois,

joining me today at the East Side

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Soup Kitchen in Saginaw, Michigan.

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That would be Diane Keenan and Diane,

before the break we were talking a

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little bit about some of the ways

that the community is helping.

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Let's talk about some of the

volunteer opportunities that

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might be here for people that

just want to do something good.

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Diane Keenan: Okay, so

we have several ways.

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That you can volunteer and I'm proud to

say we have volunteers here that have

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been volunteering for over 25 years.

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Cliff Duvernois: That is amazing.

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Diane Keenan: It is, it's great and we

have We have married couples that come in.

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We have families that come in,

organizations church groups,

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whomever, they can come in.

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And it's a good experience.

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So if you are interested in

volunteering, you can contact us and

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we'll help you through that process.

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With a volunteer form, but you could

come in and maybe help in the kitchen,

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prep food, slice, dice, chop, you

could serve food, you could box up

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food for outdoors, you could work our

coffee station, our cold drink station.

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And we also have a clothing table

that you could volunteer at.

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So there's several ways.

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Cliff Duvernois: So let's explore a little

bit more about like the food side, right?

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Is it necessary to have any food prep

skills or anything else like that?

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Or you just show up and we'll

teach you what it is you got to do?

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You

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Diane Keenan: show up and the cooks will.

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Give you everything that you need to

do and guide you with your hair nets

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and your beard nets and your aprons

and your gloves and hand washing.

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So, yeah,

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Cliff Duvernois: And then as far

as a bigger organization, for

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example, you mentioned church.

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Yes.

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Church is being involved.

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If you have a group of people, like

maybe 20 people that show up, is

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it, do you just, I say, okay, well,

all 20 of you are now cleaning.

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Do you like split them up?

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How does that, how does that work?

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Diane Keenan: So for groups, larger groups

like that, and we've had even larger than

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that, we try to have a schedule ready

with tasks that can be performed that day.

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So everybody is keeping busy and has

something to do and getting involved.

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Yes.

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Yes.

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Cliff Duvernois: And then what

are some of the things that people

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need to think about if they want

to come here and like volunteer?

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Diane Keenan: They can think about

what it is that they would like to do.

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Maybe they want to be in the

dining room cleaning tables.

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Maybe they want to be in the kitchen and

like I said, cutting and chopping and

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slicing, so you kind of have to find out,

or you can try all of the areas and see

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what you feel a good fit is for yourself.

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Cliff Duvernois: Certainly.

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And then when we're talking about

volunteering, is it like, if,

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do you prefer if somebody came

in here for a certain number of

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hours, like if you're going to

volunteer, we asked for five hours.

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Or is it, we'll take

you whatever we can get?

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Diane Keenan: We'll take whatever

works for that volunteer.

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However, the ideal for us is,

if you could come in at 8 in

386

:

the morning and stay until noon.

387

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And then at noon, after everyone

has served and we're closed.

388

:

Then the volunteers are welcome

to stay and have lunch as well.

389

:

Cliff Duvernois: So when you talk about

this 8 to 12 window, because I saw

390

:

the sign out front that said that the

lunch meal is served between 11 and 12.

391

:

Diane Keenan: Yes, that is correct.

392

:

So you would help be preparing the meal

for that day or maybe for the second day.

393

:

It just depends on what's

needed in the kitchen.

394

:

Cliff Duvernois: Now, if somebody

was listening to this and they're

395

:

like thinking to themselves,

man, I'd like to do a food drive.

396

:

Yes.

397

:

How does that work?

398

:

Is it?

399

:

Is it just we'll take anything you get?

400

:

Is it better to call ahead and say,

401

:

Diane Keenan: It would be good if

they could call and ask us and say,

402

:

Hey, my organization or my family

wants to do a food drive for you.

403

:

What are some of your needs?

404

:

You know, what do you need?

405

:

So and when it comes to our needs we

need always, always need vegetables.

406

:

If at all possible, if they could

get them in the number 10 cans, which

407

:

is the larger can, that helps versus

having to open a hundred small cans.

408

:

We always need canned vegetables,

canned fruit, canned pudding.

409

:

We always need bottled water, individual

snacks, because again, we're serving

410

:

after school youth programs and our meals.

411

:

Cliff Duvernois: And actually, just

really quick, because I know you

412

:

mentioned the after school snacks before.

413

:

And maybe I asked this question already.

414

:

Is that included in the 400 that

come through here every day?

415

:

Not the snacks,

416

:

Diane Keenan: but the meals are,

because some we provide meals

417

:

and some we provide just snacks.

418

:

Cliff Duvernois: But if somebody

is like sitting at home and they've

419

:

got extra vegetables sitting on

the shelf of the small can, is it

420

:

okay for them to still combine?

421

:

Diane Keenan: Of course, we

don't turn anything away and we

422

:

appreciate it and a lot of people.

423

:

If they have something, maybe

that's catered, it has to come

424

:

from a commercial licensed kitchen.

425

:

Then they'll come in and they say, we

have three pans of macaroni and cheese

426

:

we never touched, we never opened it.

427

:

Then we can take that as well.

428

:

Cliff Duvernois: Oh, okay.

429

:

Yeah.

430

:

So it's not just, you can also

take like pre prepared meals.

431

:

Yes.

432

:

As well.

433

:

Yes.

434

:

For some kind of a

435

:

Diane Keenan: But not if you cooked

it in your own kitchen at home.

436

:

Yeah, it's gotta be in a Not

if it's in your church kitchen

437

:

or you cater or Whatever, like

438

:

Cliff Duvernois: an industrial kitchen

or something along the commercial

439

:

kitchen, I think is what they're called.

440

:

Yes.

441

:

Yes.

442

:

And then as far as when it comes to

financial donations, like if somebody is

443

:

thinking, you know, I've got like you were

talking about before, the one person that

444

:

only donates 5 a month, which is great.

445

:

Yeah.

446

:

Somebody is wanting to do that as well.

447

:

Is it?

448

:

You know, you talked about

fundraising before do you are

449

:

you open to other fundraisers or

450

:

Diane Keenan: we are if somebody out there

has an idea for us, they need to get a

451

:

hold of us and we'll see what we can do.

452

:

It'd be great or if they want

to mail in a check or if they'd

453

:

like to stop by and have a tour.

454

:

And donate if they'd like to.

455

:

We also appreciate gift cards like

to Gordon's and Sam's and Myers

456

:

or any grocery store, Kroger's,

Aldi's, any place like that.

457

:

Cliff Duvernois: Cause then you

can use that card, go out there

458

:

and go shopping specifically

for what you need for that day.

459

:

Diane Keenan: Right now we'd

like a donation of eggs.

460

:

Eggs are so expensive, they're like gold.

461

:

Cliff Duvernois: Oh my

goodness, yes they are.

462

:

It's like six dollars a dozen

or something crazy like that.

463

:

Diane Keenan: It is crazy.

464

:

Put things in perspective, it

takes over 50, 50 to 53 cake

465

:

mixes to make dessert for one day.

466

:

So, you know how many eggs that cost.

467

:

Oh,

468

:

Cliff Duvernois: Sweet Moses.

469

:

That boggles the mind.

470

:

Yes.

471

:

Dessert for one day.

472

:

For one day.

473

:

53 cake boxes.

474

:

Diane Keenan: 200 pounds of ground

beef for a meal for one day.

475

:

Cliff Duvernois: Oh my goodness.

476

:

Diane Keenan: Yes.

477

:

Cliff Duvernois: Where

do you get that from?

478

:

Diane Keenan: France.

479

:

France.

480

:

And some food, but it's limited

to what you can choose from.

481

:

We get from the Food Bank of

Eastern Michigan, which is of

482

:

lower cost to us, which is great.

483

:

So we try to utilize that as well,

but we usually don't get donations

484

:

of meat or eggs at this point.

485

:

Cliff Duvernois: I'm envisioning like

what I see at the grocery store where

486

:

it's in like a 2 pack or a 3 pack and

I'm envisioning like 50, 60 packs.

487

:

Diane Keenan: Yeah, no,

we buy it by the case.

488

:

Okay.

489

:

Yeah.

490

:

The case.

491

:

Yes.

492

:

Okay.

493

:

Right now we have Kristen and Tim

Novak from the Saginaw County here.

494

:

They are doing a cake drive for us,

so they're collecting cake mixes with

495

:

Jolt Credit Union, which is awesome.

496

:

Cliff Duvernois: And then the question I

do want to ask is we talked a little bit

497

:

about this before the microphones went

hot, but it is kind of a hot button issue

498

:

right now and it's like all over the news.

499

:

But we have this whole government

efficiency thing that is happening.

500

:

And how is that, is that impacting

you and how is it impacting you?

501

:

Diane Keenan: right now that we had a

grant out and, uh, through United Way,

502

:

FEMA, and we are going to, it's on hold.

503

:

So we don't know what's

going to happen there.

504

:

Another, uh, local thing here is

we have the medical bus come here

505

:

and they just had to tell us that

they would not be able to come here.

506

:

And they don't know when that will change.

507

:

Cliff Duvernois: So you're

talking about medical bus.

508

:

Diane Keenan: Yes.

509

:

Cliff Duvernois: What is that?

510

:

Diane Keenan: It's a mobile

medical bus that comes here in

511

:

offers services to our guest.

512

:

Cliff Duvernois: Oh, okay.

513

:

Diane Keenan: Could be substance

abuse, medical, whatever.

514

:

And they have doctors and nurses

there to serve them and our guests.

515

:

And so that has been cut right now.

516

:

Cliff Duvernois: So that's another thing

too, that before the microphones went hot.

517

:

You had your own microphone in

there talking away, letting people

518

:

know about some of the other

organizations that come in here.

519

:

So it's not just come

in here and get a meal.

520

:

Oh, no, they got the medical bus.

521

:

Well, they used to come here.

522

:

They can't anymore.

523

:

But you got other like there's

an insurance agency there and you

524

:

like you were talking about the

clothing table there or whatever.

525

:

Right.

526

:

Talk to us a little bit about like

bringing these other services in here.

527

:

Diane Keenan: So there we did have.

528

:

And so the medical bus

won't be able to hear.

529

:

But they'll be able to

send nurses twice a month.

530

:

So we'll have nurses here to be able

to take blood screens for diabetes

531

:

and blood pressures and that type

of thing to help talk to our guests.

532

:

We had a dental bus coming in.

533

:

We have insurance agent that comes in

and helps people with their paperwork.

534

:

We have the secretary

of state that comes in.

535

:

And they'll be here next month.

536

:

They set up just like it's

a secretary of state office.

537

:

You can do absolutely everything

here that you can do there with the

538

:

exception of taking the driver's test.

539

:

Cliff Duvernois: Wow.

540

:

Okay.

541

:

So you're like, you're, license

renewed, registration renewed or

542

:

anything else like, oh, that is so cool.

543

:

Diane Keenan: Yeah.

544

:

So we offer all these extra services.

545

:

Because our, our guests are

challenged with transportation, right?

546

:

So if they can get here, then they can

take care of a lot of other business

547

:

that they need to take care of.

548

:

Cliff Duvernois: One thing I want to make

sure that we spend a couple of minutes

549

:

on, if somebody is listening to this and

they really do want to help out somehow,

550

:

somewhere, why don't you talk to us about

maybe some of the needs that you have?

551

:

Diane Keenan: Yeah.

552

:

So the needs obviously financial

need food donations, volunteers.

553

:

And then also we take new or gently

used blankets, pillows, sleeping bags,

554

:

anything to keep people warm because

some of our guests are homeless and

555

:

they need these items to stay warm.

556

:

Cliff Duvernois: And if somebody

is listening to this and they want

557

:

to, you know, connect with you.

558

:

Make a donation, come by, volunteer,

where would be some places online that

559

:

they could go and get that information?

560

:

Diane Keenan: So they could

go on to our website and we

561

:

have a donation button there.

562

:

Can hit on that, pay with

a credit card or PayPal.

563

:

However you want.

564

:

And if you want it to go specifically

for food, or specifically for to go

565

:

containers, for the to go meals, you

can put that in the notes section.

566

:

Also you can contact us on our Facebook

page, or you can call the office.

567

:

9 8 9 7 5 5 3 6 6 3 or you can stop by.

568

:

Cliff Duvernois: Diane, thank you so much

for taking time to chat with us today.

569

:

Really appreciate it.

570

:

Okay.

571

:

Thank you.

572

:

And for audience, you can find

all the links that Diane mentioned

573

:

above and please take a moment

and donate to a very worthy cause.

574

:

My name is Cliff DuVernois.

575

:

And you've been listening to Total

Michigan, and I will see you next week.

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