Feeding America West Michigan

10/16/2026

Thank you to Michigan State University Extension for highlighting ongoing West Michigan partnerships in action! Read to find out more about the West Michigan Community Garden Coalition.

"The West Michigan Community Garden Coalition demonstrates what is possible when community organizations bring their individual strengths, relationships and resources together around a shared need. What began with a single conversation and one garden has grown into an ongoing partnership that is dedicated to creating spaces for growing food, strengthening community connections and increasing access to fresh produce."

We'd like to shout out Claire Bode, Feeding America West Michigan's Neighbor Engagement Specialist and everyone at HOPE Gardens, Kent District Library, MSU Extension, 4-H Kent County, Michigan, The Refugee Education Center, Woodfield Apartments, Michigan Fitness Foundation, and Family Network of Wyoming for seeing these projects to fruition!

We're grateful for all the ways community members continue to come together to create valuable resources and learning opportunities for their neighbors.

Read more: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the-power-of-partnership-growing-the-west-michigan-community-garden-coalition

Some of the most meaningful community impact starts with a simple question: What does our community need?

The Woodfield Community Garden is a great example of what can happen when organizations come together around a shared goal.

What began through connections among MSU Extension, Kent County 4-H, Kent District Library, Feeding America West Michigan and H.O.P.E. Gardens grew into a larger partnership that also included the Refugee Education Center, Woodfield Apartments owner Dan Hibma, Land & Co., and the Michigan Fitness Foundation.

Together, these partners helped create a shared space where neighbors can connect, learn new skills and increase access to fresh, healthy food.

Community partnerships are at the heart of MSU Extension's mission. By listening, collaborating and building relationships, we can help create lasting positive change in the communities we serve.

10/15/2026

On Monday, several local banks and credit unions spent their banking holiday at our Reclamation Department. Throughout the day, 80+ staff members from Grand River Bank, GR Consumers Credit Union, and Genisys Credit Union packaged pasta and frozen pizzas for Michigan families. Altogether, bank and credit union staff members packed 14,000+ pounds.

In addition, Genisys Credit Union toured our facility and donated $2,500 — equivalent to a total of 10,000 meals.

Thank you for generously giving your time and support to nourish our neighbors.

10/14/2026

Where does the food we distribute come from?

We break down the basics of our food sourcing efforts and the relationships that make supporting neighbors possible. In addition to federal programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program, partnerships with corporate retailers and local farmers play a big role in redirecting food from landfills to where its needed most.

Find out more about our food sourcing and how it benefits local producers: https://www.feedwm.org/2026/10/06/breaking-down-the-basics-food-sourcing/

10/12/2026

Mobile Food Pantries deliver a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and protein to people in need of emergency food at no cost. We owe a debt of gratitude to our agency partners and incredible volunteers who get the food to our neighbors. Each year, we collaborate with community partners to offer more than 1,600 mobile food pantries throughout our service area.

From October 12 through October 17, we’ll be in 18 counties. This includes Allegan, Berrien, Grand Traverse, Muskegon, Kent, Ottawa, Van Buren, Ionia, Newaygo, Dickinson, Mackinac, Baraga, Menominee, Mecosta, Manistee, Lake, Oceana, and Osceola.

For the most up-to-date information about this week’s mobile food pantries, visit the Linktree in our bio and click 'Access the Mobile Pantry Schedule'.

For the most up-to-date information about this week’s mobile food pantries, visit our website: https://www.feedwm.org/mobile-pantry-schedule/

10/09/2026

Thank you to the farmers who help keep Michigan families fed through the Michigan Agricultural Surplus System (MASS). Programs like MASS demonstrate the many positive benefits that come from working together to end hunger. The investments help families, communities, and family farms.

Thank you to The Food Bank Council of Michigan and the State of Michigan for investing in neighbors for neighbors.

10/08/2026

Are you looking for food resources in Antrim County? We are here to help.

Feeding America West Michigan has a handy Find Food tool at https://www.feedwm.org/findfood/. Enter an address or ZIP code to see food resources near you. You can further narrow it down by days resources are availalbe and the resource type. Beside the map, you’ll find detailed information about each resource, which may include the agency partner name, hours of operation, contact information, address, and more.

Please note that locations, times, and methods of distribution are subject to change. For the most accurate information, please contact the agency directly. If you represent an agency and would like to update your listing, please contact our agency partnerships team. Visit our website and select "Agency Portal" in the top right to find more information.

10/06/2026

During the summer months libraries like Kentwood/Richard L. Root Branch - KDL partner with Feeding America West Michigan to provide families with access to summer meals through Gather 2 Grow.

Wendy and her sons, Johnny and Denzel, are among the many families served through Kent District libraries. The family had several positive experiences with the program throughout the summer.

For full-time employee and mother Wendy, the summer months can bring added financial challenges. When her boys are in school, Wendy is able to work longer hours. But when school is out, she reduces her work schedule to care for her sons. The reduction in hours means a reduction in income, and Gather 2 Grow has provided her some breathing room.

“The boys having a healthy option like this is really nice,” she said . “It definitely helps save money because purse strings are tight, and everything is getting more expensive. It’s comforting to know that even when money is tight, I can come to the library, get my children something to eat, and know that they — and I — will be okay.”

We thank the many libraries and financial supporters who made the 2026 Gather 2 Grow season a success. This year, with all the help of our amazing partners, 76,684 meals were served at 74 Gather 2 Grow sites in 23 counties. Thank you to all of the libraries that participated this year — we're excited to see you next year!

Read more about the impact of the Richard L. Root's library in Kentwood: https://www.feedwm.org/2026/09/22/a-summer-lunch-program-supports-kent-county-children-and-families/

10/05/2026

Mobile Food Pantries deliver a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and protein to people in need of emergency food at no cost. We owe a debt of gratitude to our agency partners and incredible volunteers who get the food to our neighbors. Each year, we collaborate with community partners to offer more than 1,600 mobile food pantries throughout our service area.

From October 5 through October 10, we’ll be in 19 counties. This includes Kent, Allegan, Ottawa, Mason, Ionia, Berrien, Newaygo, Schoolcraft, Ontonagon, Alger, Marquette, Lake, Chippewa, Cass, Montcalm, Muskegon, Osceola, Missaukee, and Mecosta.

For the most up-to-date information about this week’s mobile food pantries, visit our website: https://www.feedwm.org/mobile-pantry-schedule/

10/01/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us or helped spread the word about our campaign! Because of you, we welcomed 147 new volunteers at Feeding America West Michigan. Our new volunteers packaged a total of 88,200 pounds during their September shifts. Combined with the efforts of our regular volunteers and new groups, you helped provided 224,235 meals for Michigan families.

All September, you showed up to our Reclamation Department with big smiles and bigger hearts! By committing your time, you helped our community take a big step toward ending hunger.

With your time, your heart, and your actions, you showed all that we can accomplish. We are better together.

Missed the chance to volunteer? No problem! We offer shifts on most week days throughout the year. Visit feedwm.org/volunteer to learn more.

09/29/2026

New and regular volunteers came together with employees from Schreiber Foods to volunteer in honor of ! Employees from Schreiber graciously spent all day juggling shifts in Reclamation (from 9AM to noon and 1PM to 3PM) packing bulk pasta into 2-pound bags to distribute to families across our 40-county service area.

Their effects were compounded by the hard work of energetic new Hunger Action Month volunteers and our dedicated regulars — becoming a true celebration of all the things that we can accomplish when we work together.

Happy and thank you to everyone who gave their time with us to celebrate!

Look forward to a update soon.