ALPENA — Facing an unprecedented ice storm and days of unknowns, community members have come together to provide hot meals for residents in need. With food and resources in danger of spoiling, Samantha Steele, owner of Samantha’s on 2nd, figured feeding people was better than just throwing everything away.

On Sunday, Steele put out a request on Facebook for local restaurant owners to donate food that was at risk of spoiling. Steele said that she could claim insurance on the lost food, but she recognized the urgent need of the community.

“Seeing my own kids struggling with this motivated me to do something,” Steele said. “I can only imagine what people with big families are going through.”

Steele explained that Vivero Industries provided Pepsi products, hot dogs, nacho chips, and grills to begin efforts to feed the community. The Salvation Army and Freedom Recovery Center also donated food. Cabin Creek donated produce, ground beef, and coffee. Biggby donated bagels, eggs, and sausage.

According to Steele, meals were prepared at the Alpena Township Hall, located on U.S.-23 North, on Monday. There was also an overnight warming station and charging stations available to the public.

Steele said that she and other community partners were able to provide 250 meals on Monday and planned to do so again on Tuesday. Steele is confident that she and her fellow community partners will be able to continue providing meals until the power comes back on for Alpena residents.

Shannon Vivero, owner and founder of Vivero Industries, said that after a tree crashed through her dining room window and she and her family evacuated, she began thinking of how to contribute to the community efforts.

“Once we were safe, our next step was to help our community in any way we could,” Vivero said. “This is what we do, it is who we are. We show up for our community. You can replace things, you can’t replace lives.”

Dr. Jason Beatty, owner of Freedom Recovery Center, joined the effort with Vivero Industries and Samantha Steele.

Beatty explained that when a fundraiser for Freedom Recovery Center was cancelled due to the storm over the weekend, he knew he had to contribute to the cause. Along with Vivero Industries, Beatty donated the food from the fundraiser, which contributed to the 250 meals served at the Alpena Township Hall.

“It doesn’t surprise me how people have rose to the occasion,” Beatty said.

Further, Beatty is optimistic about the community’s bandwidth to serve those in need.

“As long as we absolutely have to, we will find a way,” Beatty said.

Abbi Kaszubowski, Alpena Township supervisor, noted that the warming shelter at the Alpena Township Hall provided overnight accommodations for 20 people, including three people with CPAP machines, on Monday.

Kaszubowski also said that as of Tuesday, the township hall had 40 cots available and has an overall max capacity of 233 people.

Kaszubowski was also confident in the community’s ability to rise to the occasion and stated that if the township hall runs out of cots, they will be able to get people to other warming shelters in the county and city.

In regard to the current crisis, Rogers City Mayor Scott McLennan remarked on how well community members across Northeastern Michigan have responded.

“Along with all of the devastation of this once in a lifetime ice storm, it is so very gratifying to see the community members come together to check in on the vulnerable,” McLennan said. “So much good being shared, keeping spirits up, and reassuring each other that this will pass.”

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.