CADILLAC -- For the past three years, over two hundred families in Cadillac have welcomed the Feeding America truck.

Food distributions have been held at the Goodwill store, but now that the building has been leased, a new location was needed.

TJ's Trucking of Cadillac stepped up to the plate. They donated an industrial building with a loading dock for the truck, and plenty of parking. Hoitenga Electric is also donating time to install lighting, and volunteers are working to clean the building inside and out.

While the Feeding America truck is loaded in Grand Rapids with 10,000 pounds of food given in charity, local contributors pay the cost of transport - $825 for each delivery.

Linda Kimbel, a volunteer organizer from the Cadillac Area Community Foundation, stated "The community of Cadillac is such a giving community. No matter what the need is, somebody steps forward, and meets it. When you have over 200 families every two weeks coming forward and needing food-obviously there's a need there." Kimbel said that within a month of her posting the need for deliveries to be paid for, businesses had the year covered.

We had a chance to speak with the owner of this week's sponsor, Tracey Kanouse of Chaos Salon. She encourages other businesses to contribute, saying "Just the feeling when you have the ability and good people and good things around you to do well - you should share it. Sooner or later everyone needs a little bit of something and it just makes you feel great as a person to be able to give back and see such good things happen." Kanouse added that the salon spent months doing bake sales and gathering donations from customers in order to sponsor a delivery.

So far this year, 800,000 pounds of food have been given out, and by the end of the year that will have climbed to one million.

Come colder months, there will be heaters added and TJ's Trucking has volunteered to keep the parking lot plowed.

The free food distribution takes place at 908 Sixth Street (just off of Leeson Ave) every first and third Thursday of the month, and begins at 2pm.

To call or donate, call the CACF at 775-9911.