For many Michiganders, summer is the much-awaited break from a long, gray winter.
But for the 1 in 8 people who face hunger, there are fewer resources available to feed their families when school lets out for the season.
That’s why United Way of South Central Michigan is joining Michigan United Ways and the Kellogg Company for the second annual Summer Stock Up – a two-week statewide virtual food drive to stock the shelves of Michigan’s food banks and pantries.
Having enough food can be a challenge for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and poverty-level households – a challenge made more difficult when the days get longer and children are no longer eating meals at school. In fact, 20 percent more families visit Michigan food banks during the summer months.
But access to food isn’t the only issue. In 2019, the cost of food represented more than 20 percent of an ALICE family’s household survival budget, and the cost continues to climb.
Without enough food, families face real consequences and difficult decisions, like choosing between food or paying for utilities or a needed prescription. In our communities, food insecurity impacts schools and workplaces, and means higher costs to taxpayers, especially through increased health care spending.
“As we continue to support the needs of ALICE families throughout the state, Summer Stock Up is just one of the many initiatives that address the critical need for our communities to have access to fresh, healthy food all summer long,” said Chris Sargent (he/him), UWSCMI President and CEO. “With the current rising costs of food today, more Michigan families will need the support of their local food banks and pantries – and based on the success of last year’s program, Summer Stock Up has proven to make an incredible impact.”
Families with children feel the impact of food insecurity even more profoundly. According to the recent ALICE in Focus: Children Research Brief, as recently as the fall of 2021, 41 percent of Michigan families below the ALICE Threshold with children reported that sometimes or often, “children were not eating enough because we just couldn’t afford enough food.” When class lets out for the summer, kids no longer have access to the nutritious breakfast and lunch they normally receive while in school.
From June 13 – 24, we are asking you to help us stock the shelves of our local food banks and pantries to support families in Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Jackson and Kalamazoo counties.
Visit www.summerstockup.org to give now.
Help United Way and Kellogg’s make sure that better days are ahead for food-insecure families. That’s a Michigan summer well-spent.