CHARLOTTE, Mich — Rising costs of living combined with unexpected government assessments are forcing Eaton County families to make impossible choices between basic necessities, with many turning to food pantries for the first time in their lives.
- Food pantry serving 800-1,000 families monthly as 'everything comes from the food budget.'
- Residents face $20,000-$50,000 drain assessments for projecst that don't benefit their property.
- Community health worker programs cut, forcing food pantry volunteers to handle complex social services in minutes.
WATCH: EATON COUNTY RESIDENTS DISCUSS ECONOMIC STRUGGLES
Amanda Thompson, Executive Director of Helping Hands Food Pantry in Charlotte, says the economic pressure on local families has reached a breaking point during a recent community dinner conversation.
"It's a real struggle for families to make their ends meet, whether it's the rent and whether it's things like utilities, dental. Everything affects something, and it always comes from the food budget," Thompson said.
The food pantry is now serving between 800 and 1,000 families each month, numbers Thompson expects to continue rising as costs increase across all sectors.
For residents like Jim Billig, of Olivet, the economic strain isn't just from inflation. Billig faces a $40,000 assessment from the Eaton County Drain Commission for drainage projects that don't touch or benefit his property.
"I have two drains that are not on my property, the McCreary and the Dillon drain. I'm paying on both of them. Neither one of them benefit my property. Neither one of them touch my property," Billig said. "I didn't get to vote on either one of them or talk about either one of them. But I have a $40,000 assessment."
WATCH: RESIDENTS DISCUSS LOCAL ISSUES AND POSITIVES IN TOWN HALL
Billig has become a regular at county commissioner meetings, advocating for reform of what he calls an outdated 60-70 year old Michigan Drain Code. He's helping other community members facing assessments ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, with one third-generation farmer owing $200,000.
Kraig Orr, an Eaton Rapids resident on Social Security disability, received a $200 monthly rent reduction that helped significantly. But grocery costs continue climbing, forcing Orr to rely on food banks twice weekly.
"It's a struggle for the food that I don't get from the food banks are so much more expensive at the grocery store now. As the gas price goes up, they just put that more on the people that are buying the stuff," Orr said.
WATCH: WHAT IS BEING DONE TO SUPPORT LOCAL ANIMAL SERVICES IN EATON COUNTY?
The ripple effects extend beyond individual households. Thompson says cuts to essential services are placing additional burdens on already-stretched community organizations.
"We've seen veterans cuts, we've seen animal control cuts. We had a program called Connections that was cut, and that was our community health workers," Thompson said.
The Connections Program used to provide community health workers who would spend an hour helping residents navigate Medicaid forms, disability applications, and other complex bureaucracy.
Now food pantry volunteers are trying to provide that same assistance in just three minutes per person, Thompson says.
There are some signs of progress on the drain assessment issue. Billig reports that county commissioners are finally holding the drain commissioner accountable after months of advocacy.
"The county commissioners are finally putting his feet to the fire and they're withholding funds from him until he answers some questions that they've been asking for a year and a half," Billig said.
Despite the challenges, community members are finding ways to support each other. Thompson celebrated National Volunteer Appreciation Week, recognizing 80 volunteers who contributed over 17,000 hours last year to the food pantry.
"There's always somebody's situation that reminds you of how good your bad day is," Thompson said about what volunteers learn from their service.
Some positive developments are happening in local communities. Eaton Rapids is replacing all water pipes citywide, addressing concerns about lead and galvanized pipes says Orr.
"We're going to have safe drinking water and get rid of all the lead pipes and galvanized pipes," Orr said.
The drain assessment crisis has become so severe that Thompson confirms it's driving first-time visits to the food pantry.
"We've had people that have never been to a food pantry before because of drain assessments," Thompson said.
For Billig, the fight continues not just for his own family, but for the broader community impact he's witnessed.
"It's about the hundreds of other families that I've talked to that are way less fortunate than my wife and I are," Billig said. "I'm just hearing the horror stories."
The combination of inflation, government assessments, and service cuts is creating what residents describe as a perfect storm of financial pressure, forcing families to make choices between basic necessities while community organizations struggle to fill growing gaps in social services.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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