MANISTIQUE — The Michigan State Police (MSP) Manistique Outpost partnered with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society (SVdP) Diocesan Council of Marquette at their Manistique Food Pantry to host a successful “Stuff a Blue Goose” event. The event, held on November 7, 2024, at Jack’s Fresh Market in Manistique, saw an outpouring of community support, with 107 bags of food donations collected to benefit local families in need.

The “Stuff a Blue Goose” initiative is a program designed to help those in need around the holiday season. It has become a regular tradition for the MSP statewide and highlights the department’s ongoing commitment to supporting Michigan communities.

“Giving back to our communities is at the heart of what we do at the Michigan State Police. We are grateful to all those who helped organize this event and for everyone who participates in the ‘Stuff a Blue Goose’ events.” said Lt. Ben Eckola, MSP 8th District Public Information Officer. “We hope these donations will go a long way in helping area families who may be struggling to make ends meet, especially during the upcoming holiday season.”

The collected food items will be distributed by the SVdP Manistique Food Pantry, which helps serve individuals and families in the local area.

“You can’t believe it, it’s amazing.” said Kay Cousineau who is the manager at the food pantry. “You would not believe what we got. It helps so much. You cannot believe how much it is going to help area families. We have really been struggling lately, because we have to buy a lot of stuff ourselves and everything has gone up in price so much. So, this is just amazing.  We support around 30-35 people a month including families and elderly people. I think it’s awesome they are doing this. Thank you, thank you so much”

The MSP Manistique Outpost will be hosting two additional events at Jack’s Fresh Market in Manistique again on November 14th and 21st from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you are unable to attend these events but still wish to participate, you can purchase groceries at Jack’s Fresh Market and leave the donations either at the store, or you can drop them off at the MSP Manistique Outpost during regular business hours. MSP asks that no perishable items are donated, but things like dry goods, canned goods, and water are accepted.

If you are not in the Manistique area, but would like to get involved, there will be additional Stuff a Blue Goose events upcoming throughout the Upper Peninsula. For updates and further details about when/where future events will take place, follow MSP on their MSP Mobile App and on social media platforms of “X” (formerly known as Twitter) @MSPEighthDist and on Facebook “Michigan State Police”. Or please contact your local MSP Post for details.