Consistent access to nourishing food is essential for children — to grow, to learn, to play. When they have this access, there is no end to the adventures that their futures hold. However, for families looking to support their children, there is also no end to the struggles that can make putting nutritious food on the table challenging.
Right now, over 85,000 children in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula experience food insecurity. 1 in 5 children don’t always have consistent access to the nourishing food they need. Local initiatives like the backpack program from the Salvation Army of Marquette County and Pack It Up Coopersville are critical in providing solutions to this gap.
‘Every kid deserves access to healthy food’ — Pack It Up Coopersville
In the spring of 2013, Coopersville locals banded together to help feed community children, and they have been running Pack It Up Coopersville ever since.
“One of the things we faced when we started in 2013 was the perception that there weren’t kids hungry in Coopersville,” said Pastor Cori Conran of Faith Community Church Coopersville and backpack program administrator. “There was a perception that there aren’t kids that are struggling. And for the past several years, we’ve served over 100 kids a day in our schools. Ever since 2013, we’ve served over 250,000 meals. It has made an impact: in putting food in kids bellies, we show this community that there are people that care and that this is an important need.”
Pastor Cori works alongside Kris Brandt and a team of volunteers to lead a concerted effort to market the program to local schools, especially at the beginning of the school year. They provide information about the program during school open houses and in back-to-school folders. They even advertise online and in their local paper, The Observer.
“The program serves more than 40 children a day and 170 per week,” Pastor Cori said. Sometimes families only need it for a certain amount of time. Other times, families really depend on it. If a family can have a little extra something because they’re getting this, then it’s worth it. If a family can take a vacation, if a family can get a new pair of shoes or something, then it’s absolutely worth it for them to be able to receive in this program.”
Pack It Up Coopersville also makes considerations for children with allergies and is always looking for ways to improve their program. They provide anonymity for kids seeking the program in middle school and high school by offering pick-up points in the school offices. They provide a variety of food options so that kids don’t get the same thing every day.
“Every kid deserves access to healthy food,” Pastor Cori said. ”They deserve access not just during school, but the rest of the week. That’s just something that we’re passionate about here in Coopersville. We want to make sure that people have access to food. At our church, we’re passionate about making sure we are doing everything we can to help meet the needs of people in our community. You’ve got to have those basic needs — food, shelter, clothing. If we can do something about it, we’re going to.”
‘There is no shame; we’re going to take care of you’ — The Salvation Army in Marquette County
Our partners at The Salvation Army in Marquette County are doing everything they can to address the need for food for children in their community, too. Program coordinator Kristina Mutersbaugh has been at The Salvation Army for three years, coming to this position after her service at one of the schools they provide the program for: North Star Montessori Academy.
In 2024, they expanded their program to Gwinn area schools. Their continued expansion and service to other communities means they’ve jumped from serving 40 students a week to 150 and now around 225 packs are provided each week for 36 weeks each year.
In each pack, they provide about 10 items, including cereal or oatmeal, two easy-prep entrees for lunches, beef sticks or some form of protein, snacks like baked popcorn, granola bars, fruit in the form of applesauce or fruit cocktail, and a juice box.
“The impact of food and nutrition, especially for a child, helps bring them to success in their adult life,” Kristina said. “It helps them sustain their health and their nutrition, so that they can learn and walk through their daily life. I don’t think a lot of times we’ll even really know what that bag of food each week means to a child. But you know the relief that a family feels. Having been a single parent at one time to know that I don’t have to worry because I know that pack is going to come home every week for my kid. It’s just a relief.”
During the holidays, the program also provides $20 meat vouchers to students for their local grocery stores.
Kristina, who was once a divorced mom with four children who turned to food assistance through pantries, recounts a recent conversation with a local couple.
“In these situations, in these chapters, we really want to give as much dignity as we can while supporting the families,” she said. “I was working with a couple last week, where he had just lost his job and she was a stay-at-home mom. She came in, in tears, because they have several teenagers at home. She said, ‘I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had to do this before.’ She just felt so sad. I told her, ‘You are not the only person, especially in the world that we’re in right now. This is happening all the time, and there is no shame. It’s okay. We are going to love you, and we are going to take care of you, and we are going to make sure that your teenage boys have food.”
It’s because of grantors like Kraft Heinz that programs through The Salvation Army of Marquette County and Pack It Up Coopersville are made possible. Thank you for everything you do to support and provide healthful and happy lives for children across these communities.