Four of the church’s missions include Grace United Lunch Packs, or GULP; a free community meal; the church food pantry; and the Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry.

“Just tell us you are in need of food and we are on it,” said Chris Spence, food program coordinator.

The free community meal is available for takeout once a month from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Sundays in the church parking lot, 130 Odill Drive in Norway.

In addition to the main dish, the meals include a vegetable, bread and dessert.

GRACE METHODIST CHURCH of Norway has a food pantry open from 10 a.m. to noon every Wednesday. Sorting donated baked goods, from left are assistant program coordinator Jeff Bilski, Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry coordinator and assistant food program coordinator Deb Vargo and food program coordinator Chris Spence. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

They serve an average of 200 to 250 dinners each month, about 60 to 70 of them delivered to Norway area residents, Spence said.

The menu for the meal is determined by what is donated, received from Feeding America or can be purchased at “reasonable price,” Spence said.

Volunteers come in to assist Spence with cooking and packaging the meals.

Since the pandemic, they decided to keep it as takeout or delivery only.

“It’s unfortunate because they do miss the social aspect of the sit-down meals, but we decided this works out well,” Spence said.

GRACE METHODIST CHURCH food pantry coordinator Chris Spence, right, along with assistants Jeff Bilski and Deb Vargo stock the shelves with recently donated items. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

Assistant food program coordinator Jeff Bilski reminds the community to call with the number of dinners by 5 p.m. Friday before the Sunday when the meal will be served, so they are able to prepare enough food. Reservations can be made by calling Spence at 906-282-9752.

Bilski added that everyone is welcome to come.

Spence said the community meal “came from a dream” many years ago.

“I believe it was God that came to me and said, ‘Have a soup kitchen,'” she said. “I brought it up to a congregation member and he said, ‘Well, do it.'”

The meal schedule for the rest of 2025 is: Feb. 23, March 23, April 27, May 25, June 22, July 27, Aug. 24, Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 23 and Dec. 21.

While the dinner is free, a donation basket is available for those who wish to contribute.

The meal is sponsored in part by a Dickinson Area Community Foundation grant from the Pasahow Family Fund.

The church food pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon every Wednesday. But anyone in an emergency situation can call the church office at 906-563-8917 or Spence to meet at the pantry.

In addition to a large variety of canned and boxed goods, the pantry stocks fresh produce, meats, cheese and eggs when available.

“We try to have something of everything in the pantry available,” said Deb Vargo, assistant food coordinator and Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry coordinator.

Several area stores — Pat’s Foods in Norway, Kwik Trip, ALDI and Super One — have been generous, providing weekly contributions, Spence said.

They also have paper products such as toilet paper and paper towel, along with personal hygiene items such as shampoo, soap and toothpaste.

Vargo said the pantry benefited tremendously from a recent can-a-thon hosted by Norway High School students.

What the pantry distributes each week is determined by what they have in stock, as well as the number of people in the family, Bilski said. But he added, “We allow them to select what items they want, just like in a grocery store. We don’t want them with items they don’t like.”

The food pantry has 18 to 22 families that are regulars, which is up from about nine three months ago. Spence also delivers to a couple shut-in Norway residents.

With the increase in attendance, food pantry cost has doubled, Spence said.

“We have really been busy,” said Vargo. “We are seeing new people about every week at the pantry.”

The church also provided complete Thanksgiving meal baskets. “Those families really appreciate it,” Vargo said.

No proof of income is required to use the pantry. “There is no judgment here — we understand it’s hard for them,” Vargo said. “Feeding America says, ‘We are all one incident away from food shortage, whether it’s an illness, loss of job, etc.'”

She added that many who come in for the first time are humbled and in tears.

Spence credits Vargo, who just came on this year, with keeping the pantry stocked each week. “She has been just wonderful,” she said.

Vargo contends the program is a “team effort — everyone has their role.”

Church members also support the pantry. “We have many that ask what we need for the week and we will show up with those items at the door,” Spence said.

The pantry also received a $500 grant from the Dickinson Area Community Foundation Pasahow Family Fund.

The Feeding America Food Pantry has set six distribution dates for 2025, with the first of the year scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6.

Distributions provide supplemental groceries — typically nine to 11 items that include vegetables, dairy, protein and others at no cost.

Additional items — usually proteins — are purchased with assistance from a Dickinson Area Community Foundation Hunger Fund grant.

The Feeding America Food Pantry distribution has remained a drive-thru, as it runs more efficiently and is safer for volunteers due to the large amount of traffic, Vargo said.

To register, participants are directed to the Evangelical Covenant Church parking lot across from the Crossroads Alliance Church facility.

Feeding America also does not have an income level requirement to receive food.

About 60 to 75 volunteers are needed for each distribution. “Volunteers from the sponsoring churches and surrounding community members are what makes this program such a success,” Vargo said. “We have seen a lot of high school kids stepping up, especially during the summer.”

The first distribution in Norway took place on Oct. 17, 2014, and has since continued to serve the community .

In addition to Grace Methodist Church, the mobile pantry is sponsored by Bethany Lutheran Church, Community Bible Chapel, Evangelical Covenant Church, St. Mary and St. Barbara Catholic Churches and Faithorn United Methodist Church.

“We have had good support from the community for Feeding America,” Bilski added.

Feeding America West Michigan is a food bank that gathers and distributes millions of meals’ worth of food for those facing hunger in 40 of Michigan’s 83 counties, in partnership with hundreds of food pantries and meal programs. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Remaining distribution dates are April 3, June 5, Aug. 7, Oct. 2 and Dec. 4.

Grace United Lunch Packs, or GULP, provides 66 local Norway students with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food for the weekend throughout the school year.

Norway-Vulcan Area School District assembles 60 bags and Holy Spirit Catholic School gets six filled bags.

Bilski noted that number has increased slightly since the beginning of the school year, when NVAS got 54 and Holy Spirit five bags.

“The number has remained consistent the last couple years,” he added.

The bags are packed with two breakfasts, two lunches and two snacks, including juice and milk.

Members of the NHS Key Club haul the boxes of food, pack up the bags and get them into students’ backpacks at the public school each Friday, Spence said.

While the program is also considered need-based, they do not do any kind of income check, Spence said, adding that food is distributed to students in a discreet manner.

The program was established in 2018 by former Norway teacher Norma Raboin, who secured 501(c)(3) non-profit status through Grace United Methodist Church.

Raboin continued to head the program for about five years, when Spence, who had assisted Raboin with the program, stepped up as coordinator.

“This program is so important for some and I felt I needed to keep it going,” Spence said.

Spence said their focus remains the same — making sure those students in need receive enough food to take home to tide them over for two days.

Parents or guardians wishing to sign up for the program can do so by contacting the school office or the student’s teacher.

Spence noted they are welcome to use the food pantry during the summer months.

The GULP program costs about $3,500 a year and runs on donations. It recently received a $2,000 grant from the Norway Youth Advisory Committee.

Program coordinators greatly appreciated all the assistance DACF has provided over the years.

“We wouldn’t be able to offer what we do without the help of these grants, especially with the cost of food right now,” Spence said.

In addition to community members, the programs receive support from several local clubs and organizations.

“The donations we get is unbelievable,” Vargo said. “We appreciate everything that allows us to continue with the programs.”

The church is at 130 Odill Drive in Norway, behind the Jake Menghini Museum, and is known as Crossroads, a facility shared by Grace Methodist and Bethany Lutheran churches.