‘This is our calling:’ Tri-City Exchange owner asks for community help to remain open
Jul 18, 2022, 7:14 PM | Updated: 7:45 pm
NORTH OGDEN, Utah — The spirit of giving back to your community can seemingly come from anywhere, and for Mike Larson, it came during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s my life’s calling. I didn’t know what it was, I guess, until this hit me. This is our calling,” Larson explained.
Larson is the owner of Tri-City exchange which started making bulletproof vests but became a food pantry about two years ago.
However, they are facing a hardship that’s threatening their business.
“We had a business partner that had some things happen that he had to get out of, and we now need to pay it off asap,” Larson said.
Over six-hundred thousand dollars to buy out that half.
Volunteers have put up a GoFundMe page, and Larson said a charitable organization has offered to match up to 240 thousand dollars in donations.
“I’m just reaching out to everyone to please help. We’re getting more and more and more patrons coming into the food bank.”
Larson said that about 1900 families come in each week. He still has over a million pounds of food in his pantry.
Inside the Tri-City Exchange pantry.
“We also have six refer trucks that run our fridge and freezers. We have two 40 foot box-containers that are full. We have three box trucks that we use,” Larson said.
He said they simply have no way to move it all by tomorrow and nowhere to take it. But he’s not giving up.
“I’m hoping for a hail Mary or a miracle. There’s no question about it.”
Larson said they have an attorney working on getting them more time, and regardless of what’s happened with his partner, and the land owners, he doesn’t blame anyone but himself here. He wants to find a way to keep the pantry going.
If you wish to donate to Larson and Tri-City Exchange, you can visit their GoFundMe* page.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
