Feeding America West Michigan’s Second Harvest food pantry has been serving nearly 300 households in Kentwood since it opened in January.
“We identified a community nearby here to really be one that might need help with food, and that’s certainly been validated in the first month or so we’ve been operating.”
That’s CEO Ken Estelle. He explains Feeding America West Michigan’s 2024 headquarters move from Comstock Park to Kentwood has benefited an area of Kent County where charitable food resources are lacking.
“We have an obligation to really see what we can do to help, so that’s why we initiated the search for a place and try to get a food pantry in this ZIP code, which we knew was underserved.”
Estelle says federal government changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits, led to more families in need.
“In addition to that, there’s been changes with Medicaid, which is also affecting costs, so when people look at what it takes to support basic needs, they look at things like healthcare, housing, and food tends to be the last thing on the list because it’s the most discretionary.”
Second Harvest Pantry serves all Michigan residents, and no identification or documentation is required to access its resources.
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