Not everyone that has a job has enough to eat. Food prices are continuing to rise, but salaries are not. Plus, people who have been recently laid off often have to work elsewhere now for less money.
“Just because people are working, doesn’t mean they have enough money to buy food for their family,” says Kenneth Estelle, chief executive officer at the Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank.
With the dry summer we’ve had here in Michigan, food prices will keep going up. Corn and soybean crops have been badly affected by the lack of rain, so products with these items in them will certainly cost more. Dairy will mostly like go up as well as cows don’t produce as much milk when it’s so hot outside, and chickens don’t lay as many eggs either. And, not to mention, the grains fed to the animals now cost more so that increase will also be passed onto the consumer.
People who are unemployed or who are receiving government assistance have it even worse than those who are working yet underemployed. Benefits are getting cut or reduced at the same time food is costing more.
Plain and simple, it’s getting harder for families and individuals to be able to afford to eat. In 2010, nearly 15 percent of households nationwide, or roughly 17 million families, were food insecure, meaning they were concerned about how they would get their next meal.
Each month, the West Michigan Food Bank provides food to almost 800 food pantries in a nine-county region surrounding Grand Rapids, and also to 40 counties throughout the state. These pantries serve as a way for families to get the extra help they need to avoid going hungry.
The West Michigan Food Bank is one of more than 200 organizations belonging to the Feeding America national network of food banks. They pay to be a member, but act as a separate nonprofit organization with their own board and bylaws.
Food is donated to the West Michigan Food Bank by food producers and growers, large retailers with excess or improperly labeled products and trucking companies with undeliverable loads. Walmart and Sam’s Club are two of the biggest contributors to the food bank.
All food that is accepted by the West Michigan Food Bank is inspected. They take this task very seriously. Government and Feeding America inspectors frequently stop by to inspect the food as well.
“The whole point is to help people and we’re not helping them if we’re making them sick,” says Estelle.
Visitors to the local food pantries don’t pay for the food they get. The pantry, shelter or agency pays the West Michigan Food Bank a small handling fee of less than 16 cents per pound of food. These fees support half of the costs to run the food bank. West Michigan Food Bank relies on donations and grants to cover the other operating costs. Ideally, the organization would like to raise enough money to eventually eliminate the agency handling fee.
Nearly 80 percent of the food pantries come to West Michigan Food Bank’s warehouse in Comstock Park to pick up their food. The remaining 20 percent of agencies have the food delivered.
Approximately 25-40 volunteers work in the warehouse each day to prepare the food for pick up and delivery, and 1,740 volunteers helped the organization in 2011. Families, individuals, church groups, schools and corporations arrive daily to assist with packing, repackaging, sorting, loading and delivery.
“There’s no way we could do what we do without volunteers,” Estelle says.
The Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank is making sure no one goes hungry. Please get involved and help them with this goal. Here are some ways:
- Visit the
Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank online to learn more.
-
Volunteer your time and services to the organization.
- Make a charitable
donation of any amount.
- Find out more about the
Million Meal March campaign to raise money and awareness about hunger. A hike on the White Pine Trail on September 29 will kick off a series of events.
- Like them on
Facebook.
- Follow
@feedingwestmich on Twitter.
Source: Kenneth Estelle, Chief Executive Officer at the Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank
Writer: Heidi Stukkie, Do Good Editor
Photos provided by the Feeding America West Michigan Food Bank.
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