Comstock Park, Michigan — June 30, 2016 — This July, Feeding America West Michigan will send six Mobile Food Pantries to communities in the Upper Peninsula.
The distributions will provide 87,500 pounds of food, or 73,000 meals, to people in need. (Download the Press Release)
Since the first Mobile Pantry was delivered to the UP in 2013, the program has provided 1.6 million pounds of food in the region. Fresh produce, dairy products and baked goods accounted for approximately 80 percent of that food.
“Summers can be very challenging for low-income people, especially families,” said Feeding America West Michigan CEO Ken Estelle. “When meals aren’t being provided at school, it puts an extra financial burden on parents. That makes our work of distributing healthy food even more important during the summer.”
In order to help people in need find Mobile Pantries more easily, Feeding America West Michigan unveiled a public Mobile Pantry calendar on its website at the beginning of June. The calendar lists distribution dates and locations for the Upper Peninsula and the western third of the Lower Peninsula.
“Clients and volunteers have been asking for this information for a long time. Our new scheduling system has made it much more accessible,” Estelle said.
Feeding America West Michigan’s Mobile Pantries are intended for people with difficulty accessing enough food for themselves or their families. While no proof of income is required at the distributions, clients will be asked to sign a statement affirming that they are in need.
If you would like to fund or host a Mobile Pantry in your community, call programs manager Ryan VanMaldegen at 616-389-6360.
Mobile Pantry Dates for July 2016
July 7
Old Manistique Saw & Planing Co., 112 West Elk, Manistique, 10 am.
VFW Post #4573, 310 Bank Street, Ishpeming, 10 a.m.
July 8
Garden Area Catholic Churches, 6411 State Street, Garden, 10 a.m.
July 14
Hannahville Community Center, N 14911 Hannahville B-1 Road, Hannahville Indian Community, 10 a.m.
July 20
Webster Elementary, 1213 N 19th Street, Escanaba, 1:30 p.m.
July 27
Rapid River High School, 10070 Highway 2, Rapid River, 10 a.m.
Note: All times EST.
About Feeding America West Michigan. Serving local families in need since 1981, Feeding America West Michigan reclaims safe surplus food from farmers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers. We distribute that food through a network of more than 1,100 food pantries, youth programs, and other hunger-relief agencies in 40 counties from the Indiana border through the Upper Peninsula. Each year, an estimated 492,100 people receive food from Feeding America West Michigan. For more information, visit FeedWM.org.