Making the most of the early years

FiveCAP’s Early Head Start helps families teach their infants and toddlers

Making the most of the early years in a child’s life is a challenge that many parents feel pressured to meet. With research reinforcing the rapid development of a child’s cognitive skills between the ages of 0 and 3, fitting as many positive learning experiences into these years can be overwhelming.

First-time parents and veterans alike find these pressures increase when added to the stress of living in poverty and trying to make ends meet.

FiveCAP Early Head Start provides a support structure to these families during the incredibly formative years before preschool by partnering parents with Specialists who perform 90-minute home visits weekly and facilitate socialization events twice a month.

EHS GRADUATIONDuring the home visits, the Specialists work with parents, encouraging them to embrace their role as their child’s first teacher. Together, they develop lesson plans and work toward goals, both for the child and the family as a whole. Each plan is specifically tailored to the individual child.

“No two children learn at the same rate,” said FiveCAP Early Head Start Assistant Director of Education/Training Joan Meeusen. “Even twins are processing things in different ways. Through home visits, our specialists are able to get to know the individual needs of each child and help customize the experience for them.

“They are also able to then guide the parents, helping them learn how to bring about moments of growth. During these years, every experience produces an opportunity. While taking walks together, parents can discuss colors and shapes with their kids. Setting the table for dinner is a practice in patterning.

Early Head Start is open to families, beginning in the second trimester of pregnancy. Before the baby is born, EHS Specialists work with the family to prepare for the child’s birth, helping to inform the family of practices that will assure the baby is born in good health. Once the child is born, the Specialist helps the family keep track of necessary doctor visits, scheduled immunizations and other important infant wellness needs.

Access to dental care is also available through a partnership between FiveCAP and Baldwin Family Health Care, with a mobile dental unit treating children at Socialization events every six months.

Family goals are also at the forefront of the program, with Specialists helping parents work toward self-sufficiency.

Once an Early Head Start child reaches 2 1/2, the Specialists begin working on “Mission Transition,” a program that helps prepare students and their families for preschool. Most Early Head Start children transition to Head Start preschools, so introducing the kids to the classrooms and teachers they will be spending time with once they turn 3 is an important part of the process.

Families qualify for Early Head Start if their household income is at or below the federal poverty level. For a two-person household, this is $15,730 annually and increases by $4,060 for each additional person residing in the home.

For more information on the program, contact FiveCAP at (231) 757-3785

Helping raise healthy kids

Head Start provides health and wellness screenings, nutritious meals to students

The educational benefits of a quality preschool program are undeniable. But health and wellness is also a key point of focus for the Head Start program, which provides free preschool to 3- and 4-year-olds whose families are living in poverty.

Good nutrition is important for everyone, but especially young children who are growing in both body and mind.

HEALTHY KIDS 1

Nutrition is an important component of the Head Start program.

“We work to counter the negative effects that food insecurity has on children by providing two complete meals a day, each and every school day,” said FiveCAP Head Start Executive Director Mary Trucks. “Our nutrition program also works to combat the obesity which is becoming more common in children.

“Just looking at the issue from one angle, it’s difficult to understand how food insecurity and obesity are linked, but all you need to do to see the connection is look at the price of things at the grocery store. The healthy foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, are very expensive while the heavily-processed foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat are cheap. When a parent is trying to feed their family on an extremely limited budget, they are going to try to get the most for their money. Unfortunately, it’s much cheaper to fill a cart with unhealthy food.”

Many children in the U.S. are showing signs of obesity-related illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease – things previously only worried about by people approaching middle age. Addressing the nutritional needs of children can help prevent these issues from developing.

FiveCAP Head Start has in place a no-sugar policy, offers multiple servings of fruits and vegetables each day and only provides low-fat or skim milk to the children. All eight centers offer full-day preschool, so the students are receiving breakfast, lunch and a snack while they are at school. These meals all adhere to the U.S. Department of Agriculture standards and account for two-thirds of the recommended nutrients a child should receive each day.

In addition to nutrition, other health needs are seen to while a child is enrolled in Head Start. Through a collaborative program with Baldwin Family Health Care, students receive dental health services every six months. A mobile unit allows the hygienist and dentist to perform cleanings and checkups on the children right there in the classroom. Regular hearing and vision screening also helps alert parents to any issues as soon as they develop.

“Parents who are raising children in poverty have so many concerns that many families simply take for granted,” Trucks said. “Long-term health and wellness is essential, but can get put on the backburner when the immediacy of survival is a daily concern. We help parents keep current on all the necessary health issues, and build habits that will help their children live healthy lives.”

For more information, contact FiveCAP at (231) 757-3785.

TEFAP distribution taking place at FiveCAP on Sept. 4

FiveCAP, Inc. will be distributing boxes for The Emergency Food Assistance Program on Thursday, Sept. 4. TEFAP is distributed every three months to income-eligible residents of FiveCAP’s four-county service area.

“The income guidelines for TEFAP are a little higher than a lot of the other food assistance programs out there,” said FiveCAP Community Support Director Holly Haywood, “so it’s nice for families or individuals who just need a little bit of help every three months. It’s all non-perishable food, which is nice because most of the items can be saved in the cupboard for the times when the grocery budget is a bit tight. It helps stretch the dollars people do have to spend on food a little farther.”

TEFAP is open to households with income at or below 200 percent of poverty, which is $23,340 for an individual and increases by $8,120 for each additional household member. Applicants must provide 30 days proof of income, birthdates and social security numbers for each member of the household and a valid ID showing that the applicant resides in the county they will be receiving food.

Below are the distribution locations for each of our four counties, as well as a list of foods that will be included in each box.

NEWAYGO COUNTY

The TEFAP boxes will include canned beef, oat circles cereal, corn, cranberry juice concentrate, dry egg mix, boxed milk, egg noodles, rolled oats, pears, pink salmon and beef stew.

Distribution will take place on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Newaygo County FiveCAP office, located at 434 North Evergreen Drive, in White Cloud. To apply for the program, stop by the office, or for more information call (231) 689-6688.

LAKE COUNTY

The TEFAP boxes will include canned beef, oat circles cereal, corn, cranberry juice concentrate, dry egg mix, boxed milk, egg noodles, rolled oats, pears, pink salmon and beef stew.

Distribution will take place on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake County FiveCAP office, located at 2476 West 44th St., in Baldwin. To apply for the program, stop by the office, or for more information, call (231) 745-4617.

MASON COUNTY

The TEFAP boxes will include canned beef, oat circles cereal, corn, cranberry juice concentrate, dry egg mix, boxed milk, egg noodles, rolled oats, pears, pink salmon and beef stew.

Distribution will take place on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at FiveCAP’s Johnson Road warehouse. To apply for the program, stop by the Mason County office, located at 302 North Main St., in Scottville, or for more information, call (231) 757-3785.

MANISTEE COUNTY

The TEFAP boxes will include canned beef, oat circles cereal, cranberry juice concentrate, dry egg mix, boxed milk, egg noodles, rolled oats, pears, pink salmon and beef stew.

Distribution will take place on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Manistee County FiveCAP office, located at 265 First St., in Manistee. To apply for the program, stop by the office, or for more information, call (231) 723-8327.

Coming together to celebrate community

FiveCAP honors parents, volunteers and supporters at annual banquet

Community was the unofficial theme of the night when FiveCAP Head Start gathered parents, supporters and community activists together for the 37th annual Parent Volunteers Honors Banquet, held on Friday, June 6 at Baymont Inn & Suites in Ludington.

PNC w Patti and Jessica Kaminski

PNC with Patti and Jessica Kaminski: Jackie Gielczyk (left) and Kasi Kelley (right) of PNC Bank in Manistee were honored for their dedication to the Grow Up Great program, which allows them to volunteer at the Manistee Child Development Center during work hours. They are pictured with MCDC Director Patti Mantych (second from left) and Early Head Start parent Jessica Kaminski.

One of the basic tenets of Head Start is parent involvement, with teachers engaging the entire family in the education of each child. The annual banquet honored the 248 parents who went above and beyond, dedicating at least 80 hours to the program throughout the school year.

In welcoming the parents to the banquet, FiveCAP Head Start Executive Director Mary Trucks announced that parents dedicated a total of 39,096 hours during this school year and Early Head Start parents added 5,453 hours to their programs.

Bitely Head Start Center won the award for highest average points per classroom, with parents volunteering a total of 2,613 hours during the course of the school year. Bitely is also home to the parent with the highest individual points. Teri Ouderkirk volunteered 573 hours to the program. Amanda Burrows, of Hesperia Area Child Development Center was second in individual points, with a total of 522 hours volunteered.

An Early Head Start parent was honored, as well. Erin Pontiac of Manistee had the highest parent points, having volunteered 234 hours to the program during the past year.

The awards ceremony also showed that it’s not just the parents and the teachers who make up the Head Start community. A host of volunteers from outside the preschool program were also honored for the support they provide for all of FiveCAP’s services, including Toys for Tots/Gifts for Teens and Walk for Warmth, in addition to providing manual labor for the monthly and quarterly food distribution programs.

Highest Center points Bitely

Bitely Head Start Center Director Violet Brown accepts the plaque for the having the highest average parent volunteer hours per classroom for all eight FiveCAP Head Start centers.

“Without volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to provide any of these programs,” FiveCAP Community Support Director Holly Haywood said. “There’s a few people we want to recognize who go above and beyond, never miss an event and at the last minute you can call with a change and they’ll make sure we get it done. Without these volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to provide the services we do.”

Haywood honored Nancee Beach from Lake County, Carol Witucki from Manistee County, Danny Fulton from Newaygo County and Fred Annand from Mason County.

Area businesses and organizations were also honored for their contribution to the FiveCAP community. FiveCAP Executive Director Mary Trucks told those gathered about local contractor Kenner McKie of Big “K” Construction, who works on a lot of the weatherization projects but also provides a great deal of in-kind donations.

She also lauded Family Health Care for their continued partnership in providing health and dental services to the Head Start children.

“There is a long relationship between Family Health Care and FiveCAP,” Trucks said. “Actually, Family Health Care was one of our programs at one time and then we spun it off and it’s still there providing health care and dental services. And I can tell you that Head Start children have the best teeth and they are the healthiest because of Family Health Care.”

Jennifer Howe of Family Health Care was in attendance to accept the certificate of thanks. “Thank you again for allowing us to be a part of your collaboration,” she said. “We’re so proud to work together to serve the community and congratulations to the parents, you make the difference.”

Jackie Gielczyk and Kasi Kelley of PNC Bank in Manistee were also honored for their participation in the Grow Up Great program, which encourages PNC employees to volunteer at the Head Start center during work hours, paying their wages for the time they donate. In addition, for every 40 hours volunteered, PNC donates $1,000 to the center. Because PNC is celebrating 10 years of Grow Up Great, Gielczyk announced that the donation would be doubled for the upcoming year.

“We get to take time out of our workday to go spend time with the kids and we get to play with them – out of our workday. It’s very pleasurable, I can’t even describe it,” Gielczyk said. “I’ve been doing this for three years, Kasi has been doing it for two years and we have some new people that are coming on and will be starting in September.

“I do love this so much. I have to tell you, in March I fell and broke my ankle and couldn’t come to the center, but those kids took their time out of their day and sent me a get well card and it meant so much to me to get that from those kids.”

Kelley also chimed in, saying that she loves the time she spends at the center and couldn’t be prouder to be a part of the program.

Trucks also handed the microphone off to State Rep. Jon Bumstead, who represents Lake and Newaygo counties, and was in attendance for the event.

“I have some special feelings when I see that someone is supporting our programs and our efforts, and when you support Head Start, it’s not just what you do in the classroom,” Trucks said. “Tonight, we have with us a special guest who is sitting quietly in the audience who I don’t get to see much personally, but every year I  notice that there’s one thing that he’s always there and a part of and that’s our Walk for Warmth.”

Bumstead said he didn’t have anything prepared, but thanked the parents for their dedication to the program. “It’s important programming and there’s nothing more important than our kids,” he said. “It’s good to see everybody here and we’ve got to keep these programs going because our most valuable resource is our young kids.”

For more photos from the event, visit our Facebook page.

Getting ready to heat up the course

Registration open for FiveCAP’s Golf for Warmth

FiveCAP, Inc. is teeing up for its 10th annual Golf for Warmth event, being held on Friday, Aug. 1 at Manistee National Golf & Resort. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the event will officially kick off with a shotgun start at 9.

Golf 1

The Big “K” Construction team of John Larr, Kenner McKie, John Sobaski and Phile McKie won the 2013 Golf for Warmth scramble.

Golf for Warmth is a 9-hole scramble and will be followed by a buffet lunch and live auction.

“We look forward to Golf for Warmth each year,” said FiveCAP Community Support Director Holly Haywood. “It’s always a fun way to gather our supporters together, enjoy the beauty of Manistee National and raise funds for a very worthy cause.

“Coming off such a difficult winter, we’re more aware than ever of the importance of our Walk for Warmth fund. This is the money that allows us to provide a safety net to families in need who are facing an emergency, but might not otherwise qualify for government assistance programs. It’s easy to forget the need for these funds when it’s warm outside, but making sure we have funds available when people need them is a year-round concern at FiveCAP.”

All of the money raised for FiveCAP through Golf for Warmth is used to support families in Manistee, Mason, Lake and Newaygo counties.

Each member of the winning team will receive an overnight stay package at the Little River Casino & Resort. Participants will also have the chance to win a 2014 Dodge Dart in the hole-in-one contest, sponsored by Watson’s Manistee Chrysler, being held on a specified hole.

Golf 2

Jane Allison putted for the Lake-Osceola State Bank team while fellow golfer Naomi Davis watched.

Manistee National Golf & Resort is located at 4797 US-31 South, in Manistee. Contact them at (231) 723-8874 to register for the event. Teams will be registered in groups of four and men’s, women’s and mixed teams are welcome.

Registration is $50 per person or $40 for members, with a portion of all proceeds being donated to FiveCAP’s Walk for Warmth funds. The registration fee also includes 9 holes of golf with a cart and a buffet lunch.

There are a variety of sponsorship opportunities available. FiveCAP is seeking tee sponsors, donations for course prizes and program advertisers. Additionally, a business can sponsor a four-person team of non-members for $200 or a four-person team of members for $160.

To become a sponsor or to learn more about Golf for Warmth or any of the FiveCAP’s other low-income assistance programs, call (231) 757-3785.

API donates $1,000 to FiveCAP’s Walk for Warmth

The Northern Michigan Chapter of the American Petroleum Institute recently presented a check for $1,000 to FiveCAP’s Walk for Warmth program, which provides heat assistance to low-income families.

API Donation

API’s Darel Willison presents a check for $1,000 to FiveCAP Executive Director Mary Trucks. The donation will be used to provide heat assistance to families in need through FiveCAP’s Walk for Warmth program.

“API’s thoughtfulness and consideration for those less fortunate is helpful in meeting community needs in a time of limited resources,” said FiveCAP Executive Director Mary Trucks.

The American Petroleum Institute is a national trade association made up of members from all sectors of the oil and natural gas industry. On hand to present the donation to FiveCAP was API’s Darel Willison, who described the northern Michigan chapter as a group of service companies and operators that gets together and discusses their interests in the area.

One part of that discussion hinges around the group’s philanthropic interests. For the last several years, they have made it a priority to contribute to FiveCAP’s Walk for Warmth fund because they feel donating to help people heat their homes is a worthy cause.

“We’ve donated now for four or five years because we want to contribute to those who need funds to help pay for heat, but it also supports our industry as well,” Willison said. “It’s important to give back to those in need. It’s important for people to know that we do care about the community and do give back.

“FiveCAP has such a presence in areas that we operate, so we decided it would be a good place to donate.”

Faced with the ever-present uncertainty regarding funding of government heat assistance programs, FiveCAP relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses, such as API, to provide a solid safety net in the form of Walk for Warmth funds.

Walk for Warmth funds are used in emergency circumstances to help residents who don’t otherwise qualify for state or federal heat assistance programs, or to provide help with those government funds have been exhausted.

Learning to grow, tend and harvest

Free plants, advice offered at FiveCAP’s annual garden workshop

The growing season may have been delayed by the long winter and cold spring, but the time to plant vegetables is quickly approaching, as is FiveCAP, Inc.’s annual gardening workshop.

garden workshopThe workshop is offered free of charge to income-eligible residents of FiveCAP’s service area. In addition to receiving a variety of vegetable plants to get their garden started, attendees will also have access to the expertise of a master gardener who will share tips and techniques for getting the best harvest from each plant.

“Growing your own food is one of the most empowering self-sufficiency tools available,” said FiveCAP Community Support Director Holly Haywood. “Many of our clients suffer from some level of food insecurity and depend on our food distributions or government food assistance programs, so how much they get and what they get is completely out of their control.

“But when people grow their own food, they are able to reclaim some semblance of control. They plant, tend and harvest their vegetables and then serve them to their families. There is a lot of pride taken by gardeners in general, but that sense of accomplishment increases exponentially when you consider what food actually means to someone who is dependent on outside sources to provide enough to get by.”

IMG_9018 (2)The workshop will also provide attendees the opportunity to have their questions answered by an expert, making the information is relevant to everyone from novices about to plant their first plot to veterans who have many harvests under their belts.

Each attendee will receive two of the following plants: green beans, Roma tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini and broccoli.

In the fall, FiveCAP will follow up with a food preservation workshop, at which time another expert will advise attendees on the best methods for canning or freezing what they’ve grown so they can continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor long after the growing season is done.

The following are the dates and times for the garden workshops in each of the four counties in FiveCAP’s service area.

MASON COUNTY

The workshop will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. at FiveCAP’s Johnson Road warehouse in Scottville. To register, call FiveCAP at (231) 757-3785 or stop by the Mason County office, located at 302 North Main St., in Scottville.

MANISTEE COUNTY

Manistee Community Kitchen horticulturist Britt Uecker will again lead the workshop, answering questions and providing helpful information. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at 2 p.m. at the Manistee County FiveCAP office, located at 265 First St., in Manistee. To register, call FiveCAP at (231) 723-8327, or stop by the Manistee County office.

LAKE COUNTY

The workshop will be led by Connie Theunick-Perley, who will answer questions and provide helpful information. It will take place on Wednesday, June 4 at 10:30 a.m. at the Lake County FiveCAP office, located at 2476 West 44th St., in Baldwin. To register, stop by the office or call (231) 745-4617.

NEWAYGO COUNTY

The workshop will again be led by Kathy Alford, who will answer questions and provide helpful information. It will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. at the Newaygo County FiveCAP office, located at 434 North Evergreen Dr., in White Cloud. To register, stop by the office or call (231) 689-6688.

FiveCAP Head Start joins Genesis Stars

Community members invited to participate in online community

FiveCAP Head Start is putting out a call to the community to show their support by joining a network of Head Start preschool friends.

genesis stars“We just need some of the people who have showed such amazing support to us over the years to log on and join our groups on Genesis Stars so we can all begin reaping the benefits of this network and expand the experience for our local children and their families,” said FiveCAP Executive Director Mary Trucks.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to remain connected with the hundreds of people who have been impacted by our Head Start program through the years. Through this network, we also gain access to some great resources. Already, through this program, we are bringing author Rose Rock, mother of comedian Chris Rock, to serve as our keynote speaker for our Head Start Parent Volunteer Honors Banquet June 5 at the Baymont Inn & Suites in Ludington.”

Network membership is free and open to any Head Start alumni, parents, guardians, staff members, employees, volunteers, consultants, trainers, advocates, lobbyists or corporate friends. Once members, community advocates can log in and join one or both of the groups, FiveCAP, Inc. and FiveCAP, Inc. Alumni Group.

To join the network go to www.mygenesisstars.com and click “create an account.” Guided by prompts, fill out the membership information until prompted to click “register.” Once this is complete, you will be sent an email asking that you activate your account. Click on the link, activate and then go to “my groups” and search “FiveCAP.” The agency has two groups, “FiveCAP, Inc.” and “The FiveCAP, Inc. Alumni Group.” Members can join both groups.

FiveCAP kiosks open to people applying for Healthy Michigan Plan

FiveCAP, Inc. has a computer available for residents who need Internet access to apply for health insurance under the Healthy Michigan Plan.

After months of wondering at the future of their healthcare options, Michigan residents living just above the poverty line were able to start applying for the Healthy Michigan Plan on April 1.

The plan is Michigan’s answer to the Affordable Care Act’s provision for expanding Medicaid. It is open to residents of the state who are between ages 19 and 64, have a modified adjusted gross income that is within 133 percent of poverty, do not qualify for Medicare, do not qualify for other Medicaid programs and are not pregnant at the time of application.

The expanded guidelines equate to an annual income of approximately $15,500 for single residents and increases by about $5,400 a year for each additional family member. Monthly income falls within 133 percent of poverty at about $1,300 for a single person and increases by $450 a month for each additional family member.

When applying, residents should be prepared to provide information on each family member they are seeking coverage for, including birthdates, social security numbers, income and citizenship or immigration status.

Application can be made at the following websites: www.mibridges.michigan.gov/access/, www.healthcare4mi.com or www.healthcare.gov.

FiveCAP Community Support Workers are always on hand to help residents using the kiosks and are familiar with the application process for the Healthy Michigan Plan.

The Mason County FiveCAP office is located at 302 North Main St., in Scottville. Call (231) 757-3785 for more information on any of the services available through the agency.

CSFP providing food to seniors, families on March 12

FiveCAP will be distributing the Commodity Supplemental Food Program boxes on Wednesday, March 12. This program provides food every other month to income-eligible senior citizens.

“As any senior will tell you, getting older costs a lot of money,” FiveCAP Community Support Director Holly Haywood said. “The increasing cost of living that comes with increased medical expenses, the cost of prescriptions and the physical limitations that can make working difficult or impossible all put elderly residents in a very difficult position.

“This program is nice because it provides food to these residents, allowing them to stretch their budget a little bit. When you’re living on a fixed income, every little bit helps and this program goes a long way for its recipients.”

Residents of FiveCAP’s four-county service area are eligible to receive CSFP if they are 60 or older and their income falls within 130 percent of poverty. For a one-person household, this equates to $15,171 annually and increases by $5,278 for each additional household member.

“This program is distributed to individuals, not families, so only one person in the household needs to meet the age requirement,” Haywood explained. “Having a younger spouse or children living at home doesn’t disqualify people from the program.”

Another program, CSFP-MIC (Mothers, Infants and Children) provides the same supplies seniors receive to income-eligible families with children under 6 that don’t receive WIC (Women, Infants and Children). Families qualify to receive food through CSFP-MIC if their income is within 185 percent, which is $29,100.50 for a two-person household and increases by $7,511 for each additional member.

Below is a list of items that will be included as well as times and locations for each of our four counties.

NEWAYGO COUNTY

The March distribution of Commodity Supplemental Food Program will include boxed milk, non-fat dry milk, macaroni, spaghetti, rolled oats, rice crisp cereal, light red kidney beans, Great Northern beans, canned beef, chunky beef stew, sweet potatoes, spinach, diced tomatoes, corn, apricots, peaches, apple juice, grape juice, cranapple juice, tomato juice and cheese.

Distribution will take place on Wednesday, March 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Newaygo County FiveCAP office, located at 434 North Evergreen Dr., in White Cloud. For more information, call (231) 689-6688 or stop by the office.

LAKE COUNTY

The March distribution of Commodity Supplemental Food Program will include boxed milk, non-fat dry milk, macaroni, spaghetti, rolled oats, rice crisp cereal, light red kidney beans, Great Northern beans, canned beef, chunky beef stew, sweet potatoes, spinach, diced tomatoes, corn, apricots, peaches, apple juice, grape juice, cranapple juice, tomato juice and cheese.

Distribution will take place on Wednesday, March 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake County FiveCAP office, located at 2476 West 44th St., in Baldwin. For more information, call (231) 745-4617 or stop by the office.

MASON COUNTY

The March distribution of Commodity Supplemental Food Program will include boxed milk, non-fat dry milk, macaroni, spaghetti, rolled oats, rice crisp cereal, light red kidney beans, Great Northern beans, canned beef, chunky beef stew, sweet potatoes, spinach, diced tomatoes, corn, apricots, peaches, apple juice, grape juice, cranapple juice, tomato juice and cheese.

Distribution will take place on Wednesday, March 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at FiveCAP’s Johnson Road warehouse, in Scottville. For more information, call (231) 757-3785 or stop by the Mason County office, located at 302 North Main St., in Scottville.

MANISTEE COUNTY

The March distribution of Commodity Supplemental Food Program will include boxed milk, non-fat dry milk, macaroni, spaghetti, rolled oats, rice crisp cereal, light red kidney beans, Great Northern beans, canned beef, chunky beef stew, sweet potatoes, spinach, diced tomatoes, corn, apricots, peaches, apple juice, grape juice, cranapple juice, tomato juice and cheese.

Distribution will take place on Wednesday, March 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Manistee County FiveCAP office, located at 265 First St., in Manistee. For more information, call (231) 723-8327 or stop by the office.