West Michigan Food Pantries Unite in Regional Effort to Combat Rising Demand

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A massive regional food distribution effort brought together six local food pantries Wednesday, as they unloaded more than 30,000 pounds of food — over 1,200 cases — to help families facing hunger across West Michigan.

The participating pantries included multiple locations around Kalamazoo, one from Mattawan, and one from Hartford:

  • Mattawan Food Pantry
  • Westwood United Methodist Church Food Pantry (Kalamazoo)
  • Gathering Harvest Food Pantry (Kalamazoo)
  • Hartford United Methodist Church Food Pantry
  • Bread of Life Food Pantry / Catholic Charities (Kalamazoo)
  • Twelve Baskets Food Pantry (Kalamazoo)

"It's always been really important to us to help those in need," Katherine Atkinson, stake communications director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Kalamazoo Stake, said. "These pantries are doing a wonderful job already of filling needs, but they need support. And so, we're just grateful that we're able to kind of step in and help them in a little way to fulfill the needs of the community."

Atkinson credited the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints volunteers, alongside many other community members, for their participation in the distribution.

Sinclair's Day of Service Brings Additional Support

The Wednesday distribution coincided with Sinclair's annual Day of Service, which brought additional volunteers to help local food organizations meet growing demand driven by rising costs and economic strain.

At Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, volunteers including staff from News Channel 3 spent the day packing food boxes for distribution, supporting programs that serve hundreds of people daily.

"It's great to have Channel 3 here today," Greta Faworski, Associate Director of Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, said. "It's really helpful for us to have people packing these boxes so we can get them out to individuals who need them."

Faworski said the organization serves between 800 and 850 people on an average day, and has seen demand remain at historic highs in recent years.

"Even just a change of $50 to $100 a month can put someone in a situation where they can't meet their basic needs," she said. "Food is often one of the first things to go."

Across town, the South Michigan Food Bank hosted a pop-up food distribution at Homer Stryker Field, expecting to serve about 200 families. The organization, based in Battle Creek, also operates mobile food markets throughout the region, including regular stops in Kalamazoo County.

"Last year in Kalamazoo County alone, we distributed over 2.6 million pounds of food," Michelle Boudreau, Community Impact Coordinator for the South Michigan Food Bank, said. "As of March 31 this year, we're already at 675,000 pounds, that's 21% higher than this time last year."

Boudreau said the increase reflects a broader economic reality, with more households struggling to stretch their paychecks as food prices and overall cost-of-living increases make it harder for families to afford basics.

For those looking to help, Atkinson suggested reaching out to local food pantries or visiting JustServe.org to find volunteer opportunities.