Hero Story

Lynne Mills sheds a positive light in the community as she walks alongside those she encounters in her service every week. She has the gift of encouraging others and finding the best in every situation. Lynne is an inspiration to all who are lucky enough to know her. She is passionate about providing healthy food to those who are food insecure in Lake County. She helped embrace the pantry’s desire to move toward a My Choice food pantry, to expand the pantry and create a ‘shopping experience' – educating shoppers on best choices to create a healthy plate utilizing food offered at the pantry. This model empowers pantry users by allowing them to choose their own foods, versus being handed a bag or box of food. Lynne was instrumental in educating pantry volunteers and assisting with the program expansion. Lynne has been instrumental in stretching the limited budget by growing relationships with food partners locally, and outside of the county, that has enhanced the pantries capacity to offer fresh produce, local venison, and other healthy food choices that better address the needs of this vulnerable population.

Since the pandemic hit, Lynne has not only moved through it, but her leadership skills have expanded as she met the most challenging crisis of our time. During this period, the pantry took on a building project to expand their food storage capacity in order to meet the growing needs of the community. Pantry use has risen over 30% since the beginning of the pandemic. There are currently over 1,660 families served through this small rural pantry.

"We continue to do whatever it takes to feed the hungry, averaging 550-600 volunteer hours a month"."

Pandemic restrictions created the necessity to limit in-person prep teams and create safe social distancing standards. Lynne advanced her team of 37 volunteers forward, without interrupting weekly food distribution. She has maintained choice shopping by creating a weekly shopping list and volunteers fill the orders. Last year, Bread of Life Food Pantry was awarded additional funding from Great Lakes Energy and the Lake County Community Foundation. This food pantry addresses more than food insecurity. They oversee a program that supports heating, electrical, and medical needs for county residents as well as supporting youth literacy efforts through the distribution of books to families. As Lynne continues to reach out and create new partnerships, this pantry routinely shares with other pantries and organizations serving in Lake County, as well as surrounding areas. Their work has been recognized in Michigan, as well as nationally, through their collaboration with MSU Extension and the Voices for Food Project.

Lynne is always open handed, stating “The more we give, the more we get to give”.