LAWTON, Mich. -- Experts say the face of hunger is changing: no one is immune from struggling with feeding themselves, or family, at some point in their lives. Roughly 49 million people don't have enough food to eat across the United States.
In Michigan, about 1.6 million people struggle with hunger, according to Feeding America West Michigan. More than 480,000 of those in Michigan are children.
There are many local resources for those in West Michigan who are struggling to put food on the table. FOX 17 followed a Lawton family to some agencies they use to help feed their family.
Amanda and Joel Williams bring their children with them on weekly grocery trips.
Joel said he lost his arm in a car accident when he was 13-years-old, and is laid off work on disability, while Amanda chooses to stay home to care for their two youngest children under the age of three. Previously in prison for drug charges, Joel said he turned his life around: he's clean and focused on feeding his children.
When money gets tight, they use resources like churches and mobile food pantries run by Feeding America West Michigan.
"It's still expensive for families shopping in the grocery store on a limited budget," said Feeding America West Michigan spokesperson Andrew Steiner. "If you compare one apple to a two-liter of pop, per calorie the apple is about eight times as expensive."
Amanda and Joel sometimes visit mobile food pantries. FOX 17 visited the pantry at Kent Hills Elementary, which is one of 30 to 40 mobile food pantries running throughout West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula weekly. The mobile pantry visits Kent Hills once per month.
They've also visited a grocery drive at Valley Family Church in Portage.
They were one of about 282 families to take home a free bag of groceries when FOX 17 went to the Friday Groceries drive with them. It was enough food for about three meals. Amanda says this helps their family eat near the end of the month.
“We’ve had everybody from people that have been homeless to the guy who was downsized in his job," said Executive Pastor Matt Munson with Valley Family Church. “The reality is that people of all phases in life have unexpected things come up, and we can help meet that need by providing a bag of groceries.”
The church's Friday Groceries program donates about 7,000 pounds of food to families, helping about 1,000 people each week Munson said.
Another monthly service the Williams have used is Eleanor's Pantry in Paw Paw.
"It's always well-stocked," said pantry volunteer coordinator Sue Miller. "The people in town seem to be amazingly generous."
Click hereto find a food pantry near you.
To find the nearest mobile pantry in Muskegon, Ottawa, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties, click here.
To find the nearest mobile pantry in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties, click here.
If you or anyone you know needs help to find food resources, you can also call 211.
