Like many people across the country, Thelma has found it difficult to afford enough food for herself and her family during the pandemic. She was laid off, and then the factory where she worked completely shut down. She hasn’t found … Continue reading
mobile pantry
Myth: Neighbors facing hunger always need help
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
Fresh Start provides tools to help families make the most of food assistance
Kids who don’t eat enough healthy food start life at a disadvantage. They’re at higher risk of disease, repeating a grade and developmental impairments — such as language or motor skills. That’s why many schools run Feeding America West Michigan … Continue reading
Not low-income enough: “In-between” neighbors get help at Mobile Pantries
On a cold, clear day in January, neighbors from all walks of life lined up to receive food at Carson City Elementary School. Among them was a school employee who preferred to stay anonymous. Before last summer, she’d never attended … Continue reading
Mobile Pantry attendance up 63%, not slowing down in Big Rapids
Despite the snowy conditions that marked Big Rapids’ first blizzard of the season, dozens of volunteers lined the town’s fairgrounds, loading neighbors’ cars with milk, juice, produce and other food at a Feeding America West Michigan Mobile Food Pantry. “I … Continue reading
1 in 5 Oceana County residents may be facing hunger right now — here’s how one church is helping
Sharita is an Oceana County resident who can’t accept the thought of any of her neighbors going hungry. So, she started volunteering at the Feeding America West Michigan Mobile Pantries hosted by New Hope Community Church. She quickly found herself … Continue reading