One Saturday morning each month, the parking lot at Flat River Outreach Ministries fills with activity. When a refrigerated box truck from Feeding America West Michigan arrives, volunteers unload and organize pallets of food for distribution. Families, many arriving up to two hours before the distribution begins, pick up their fresh produce, and community members work side by side to keep the distribution moving.
For Kelly Glas, program manager at Flat River Outreach Ministries, the scene represents something bigger: a community coming together to make sure its neighbors have reliable access to food.
“Lowell takes care of Lowell,” she said. “Everybody comes together in a really amazing way to be able to support neighbors, and it’s been amazing to feel included in that.”
Responding to Lowell’s most pressing needs in a comprehensive way
Like Kent County as a whole, 1 in 7 people in the Lowell area make difficult decisions between food and other basic necessities because they lack adequate financial resources. According to 2025 Map the Meal Gap data, approximately 89,050 (13.5%) of Kent Count residents are food insecure, including 22,680 children.
Community food programs like Flat River Outreach Ministry’s mobile food pantry bridge this gap. Mobiles provide supplemental groceries that allow families to stretch their household budgets while making sure they have enough food to eat. Kelly said the agency’s mobile food pantry distributions typically serve 80–100 families, providing an average of 2,500 meals per distribution. At a distribution in August, families received squash, carrots, lettuce, watermelon, eggs, granola, milk, and more.
“We haven’t seen a great uptick this year yet, regarding our mobiles,” Kelly said, “The summer tends to be a bit lower for us in terms of attendance. We do anticipate, as we head into the following winter, we’ll see higher attendance.”
Mobile Food Pantry distributions are just one of the ways the agency partner responds to the community’s needs. Flat River Outreach Ministries maintains a fixed food pantry that is open three days a week. Here, much like the mobile pantry, neighbors receive three to five days’ worth of food. The mobile pantry is an effective complement to the fixed pantry, particularly because its distributions provide fresh produce that the fixed pantry has limited capacity to store.
In addition, the agency offers a Christmas distribution, which provides families access to the essentials needed to prepare a memorable holiday meal, and its Farm Market, which provides fresh, local produce at low prices.
Strong Partnerships, Stronger Community Support
Sustainability is incredibly important for impactful programming. Flat River Outreach Ministries has established partnerships both inside and outside the Lowell community that have helped in strengthening the agencies’ efforts in the area. The agency partners with Feeding America West Michigan and local churches and businesses in the area to support the mobile food pantry distributions.
“We do 11 mobiles a year,” Kelly said. “All eleven mobiles are sponsored or covered by our partners. Many of the partners provide all the volunteers for distribution days.”
Community Voices on the Mobile Pantry’s Impact
Corie, a Grand Rapids mother, attended Flat River Outreach Ministry’s mobile food pantry distribution for the first time after missing the distribution time for a different mobile food pantry closer to home. After seeing signs promoting the day’s distribution, she made the drive. A self-employed house cleaner, Corie had to cut back on her clients after her son injured his back and spent his summer in a back brace. She needed to be home more to care for him. In addition to her reduced income, Corie’s rent increased while she still had to keep up with her car payment, insurance, and other important expenses.
“I don’t qualify for state assistance,” Corie said, “So I have to make it happen, and if I have to show up to mobile pantries to get some of the things that I need to help prepare meals, then I will.”
Corie looked at the fruits, vegetables, potatoes and other foods she receives and immediately started thinking about how she would turn them into meals that can stretch for long periods. She considered meals like goulash, since her son likes tomatoes, or lasagna and other dishes that she can make in larger portions.
Many families and individuals who could benefit avoid food pantries because they fear being stigmatized. Corie has learned over time to get past the fear, understanding that the programs are there to be utilized. She encourages others who may need the assistance to get as much help as they possibly can.
“Right now, financially, it’s difficult for some people,” Corie said. “Don’t wait. If you need help, please go. They have all that you’re going to need for the most part. It’s here to help you sustain.”
Another neighbor, Lisa, a Lowell resident visiting the Flat River Outreach Ministries mobile pantry for the first time, was seeking support after an increase in grocery prices made it more difficult to make ends meet. Although seeking help felt intimidating at first, she soon became more comfortable after recognizing that the support was there for a reason.
“It can be uncomfortable,” Lisa said, “but understanding that you need the help and that the help is there, you don’t have to feel bad that you need to show up here.”
Our thanks goes out to grantors like Amway who help make the Mobile Food Pantry program possible with their generosity.