Donning gloves, Whitmer served onion rings to hundreds of people at the E-Free Church in Gaylord.
A thousand or so people have dropped by the church since the weekend to sleep, eat, shower and recharge.
Whitmer deployed the National Guard earlier in the week to help clear debris and restore power to the region.
Whitmer says she will likely be requesting federal aid, but the process takes time.
"I did talk to president Trump yesterday, just to start the conversation, but we can't even apply until we have a full understanding and report of the extent and breadth of the damage. And frankly there are still so many roads you can't even go, drive through."
Whitmer says there are lot of unknowns in regard to how federal cuts to FEMA may affect disaster funding.
Whitmer also made stops in Petoskey and Alpena.
