Cuts will push record-high demand to new heights
More of our neighbors will face days when they don’t have enough money to buy food in 2026.
When tighter Supplemental Food Assistance Program eligibility goes into effect in 2026, we estimate that 1 in 6 people throughout our 40-county service area will need help, an increase from the current rate of 1 in 7.
The increased demand comes at the same time that food banks throughout the United States are encountering uncertainty about food and financial resources from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Federal sources account for a third of food distributed by Feeding America West Michigan — more than 10 million pounds of food a year. Yet we are unclear how much our food bank will receive in 2026 and we are concerned that federal funds to warehouse and transport the food will go down.
The food bank already encountered an unsettling disruption in federal sources earlier this year. Food banks nationwide were caught off guard by the abrupt cancellation of food deliveries in April. Feeding America West Michigan lost 32 truckloads of food amid the cancellation and was forced to purchase food to continue to stock pantries.
“It’s a perfect storm,” said Ken Estelle, Feeding America West Michigan CEO. “We are operating at our financial capacity as our costs have increased by over 25% from 2023.”
The people who turn to food pantries for help come from all walks of life, yet food insecurity rates are highest for families with young children, older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities. Other factors include health problems that force early retirement and unemployment.
The majority of people who turn to food banks are people who do not qualify for food assistance. Many work full time yet barely make enough to cover basic living expenses, let alone save for unplanned expenses or gaps in employment. The number of households in this situation has grown by 100,000 households since 2019. United Way of Michigan’s ALICE Project estimates that 1 in 4 Michigan households fit this category.
“About 7 percent of the people who receive SNAP who are required to work aren’t working,” said Joseph Jones, Chief Impact Officer at Feeding America West Michigan. “It is a small number of people and it is about equal to the unemployment rate. These people do not remain food insecure because they get jobs and move on with their lives. The bigger issue is the people who are working aren’t making enough to cover their costs or they aren’t making enough to save for a rainy day. They turn to us for help during those gaps.”
Neighbor Angela, a longtime school employee, attended the mobile food pantry at Michigan Work!Benton Harbor after losing her job.
“I never thought I would have this need, but they were there for me,” she said. “I’m very thankful, and it helps a lot — they’d be surprised. It helps a lot of people. I worked in schools for 20 years, and a lot of children go hungry. A whole lot of children go hungry and having this just helps out. It makes a child’s day. They go to bed full. They go to bed not worrying, ‘What am I going to eat tomorrow?’ They give you a good amount, and I appreciate it. I’m here to help them anytime they need help.”
Food banks across the nation stand ready to help neighbors like Angela, yet food bank leaders do not know if federal food programs will continue at past levels, let alone levels to meet the expected increase in need.