According to the USDA ERS, before the pandemic, someone who faced hunger in any given year only did so for an average of seven months. And 94 percent of neighbors who faced hunger in a given year no longer needed … Continue reading
Food for Thought
Marcellus Community Food Pantry: a beacon of hope amidst gaps in government assistance
Families across our service area are jumping more hurdles than ever as they work to put food on the table. SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) and unemployment benefits can be helpful, but for many in need, they leave a … Continue reading
COVID-19 Hunger Heroes Part 2: Donations decline, hunger soars, but UPS, Fifth Third, Feeding America give essential support
The pandemic has created the perfect storm for Feeding America West Michigan – higher demand, reduced food donations and plenty of changes to our operating model. We’ve had to spend much more on purchasing food so that we can help organizations like Community Action House serve neighbors. Continue reading
Inside the food bank: New freezer will reduce waste, feed families
At the food bank, numerous ceiling-high shelves are filled with an ever-cycling rotation of canned goods, juice boxes and other non-perishable food. In the back, spanning roughly half the length of our 55,000 sq. foot warehouse, stand both a walk-in … Continue reading
Trucks: The fuel behind the food bank
The Darden Foundation recently helped fund one of the most important, yet least “glamorous,” aspects of the food bank’s operations – truck fuel. Without trucks, the food bank could not fulfill its mission.
Mobile Food Pantries: Filling the SNAP gap in towns like Belding
Neighbors facing hunger in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula often rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program