GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Even in sub-freezing temperatures, the jackets, hats and gloves volunteers with Feeding America West Michigan were wearing outside Sibley Elementary School were still not as important as their smiles, braving the cold weather to help out as food insecurity during the pandemic remains a constant concern.
“I think sometimes people feel like they don't have hope, but I think seeing something like this and seeing people at their school and people from the community come and really help them out... I think that's very heartwarming for people,” Feeding America West Michigan Communications Specialist Juliana Ludema said.
Outside the westside Grand Rapids school Tuesday evening, cars lined up along the street to get some much-needed hope, in the form of boxes of food, during what’s been a difficult stretch for so many.
“As we've gone through waves of different needs people might be experiencing, especially right now when fresh food is a little bit more expensive and mobile pantries provide a lot of fresh food, so it's kind of a great way to fill that gap,” Ludema added.
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The organization says as many as one in six people here in West Michigan may be facing hunger.
They hold drive-through mobile food pantries frequently, as they’ve seen demand rise through the pandemic and even more so as the costs of goods grows higher. Folks can simply drive up and get 50 pounds of food, half of which is fresh.
It's an easy and efficient way to make sure families stay fed through the winter and beyond.
If you or someone you know has a need, you can click here to see what resources might be there for you.
Feeding America West Michigan also needs support to keep doing what they are doing. Click here to find out how you can help.
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