Feeding America West Michigan is teaming up with the United Way of Southwest Michigan and the Berrien Community Foundation for a massive food drive this weekend.
Feeding America West Michigan Director Ken Estelle tells us more than 1.4 million Michiganders are facing delays in their November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, so the organization is kicking off a 40-county food drive with a drop-off site in Benton Harbor.
“We’re trying to make sure we don’t duplicate or interfere with existing community food drives, but we want to make sure we’re part of the solution and hoping to help with getting emergency food,” Estelle said. “Food drives are a way for us to get food very quickly.”
Estelle says anyone can make a donation of non-perishable food items on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Feeding America West Michigan warehouse at 1488 East Empire Avenue in Benton Harbor. Items dropped off will stay local.
“So we’ll have staff and volunteers that are prepared to take that food in as soon as it arrives, do a quick inspection, make sure it’s okay, and then get it staged to go directly to food pantries. And we’re going to try to get that out. Maybe not the same day, but within a day or two.”
Estelle says they’re also staging drives in Cadillac and Kentwood.
According to Feeding America West Michigan, Berrien County has more than 24,000 SNAP recipients and a food insecurity rate of 16%. There are more than 8,000 SNAP recipients in Cass County, and more than 11,000 in Van Buren County.
Everyone’s asked to step up and help out while the uncertainty over SNAP continues. You can learn more right here.
