Matthew Ruesch photo Our Redeemer Lutheran Church of Kingsford member Bella Morrow stocks the “Meal Take-or-Drop” table outside of the church entrance. Area residents are encouraged to either take a meal bag if they are in need, or leave a meal for someone else if they are able.

KINGSFORD — Our Redeemer Lutheran Church of Kingsford has created the “Meal Take-or-Drop” program, which offers meal bags to members of the community who find themselves in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This allows people to pull up to the church entrance and take whatever food they might need at that moment. There is no limit on what people can take.

Those who wish to help someone can leave a brown paper bag with the non-perishable ingredients needed for a meal.

The bags have the ingredients written on the outside so people can simply take a bag and leave.

Our Redeemer member Bella Morrow, who is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, but has been living at home in Kingsford since the closure of the campus in mid- March, is the creator of the program.

“Coronavirus has placed many people in situations they never thought that they would face,” says Morrow. “Some people may be in a challenging financial situation, but also feel uncomfortable with going to someone for help. This allows a person to get the food for a simple meal, or two or three, without any questions asked.”

Those wishing to pick up meals can do so from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, outside the main entrance to the church building for at least the duration of the stay-at-home order.

If anyone wishes to leave food donations, they are asked to bring prepared meal bags during the same hours. The congregation asks that donors use proper hand-washing and sanitization techniques before preparing the bags and that they write the ingredients within the bag on the outside of the paper bag.

“It’s our duty as the Church to love our neighbor as Christ loves us,” says Our Redeemer pastor, Rev. Matt Ruesch. “This is a simple way that we can reach people in a time of crisis and let them know that there are people who are there for them and are praying for them.”

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church is at 420 W. Breitung Ave. in Kingsford.