LANSING, Mich — A Lansing father of six says free food resources are making a critical difference for his family as summer approaches and school meal programs end.
- As school meal programs end for summer, Lansing father David Lovely relies on local food resources like the LMTS center to support his family.
- A gap exists between the end of school and the start of summer meal programs, making food insecurity a pressing issue for many families.
- Organizations like the Greater Lansing Food Bank are stepping in with solutions, including weekend food kits and partnerships with libraries and camps.
WATCH THE IMPACT OF HAVING FOOD RESOURCES AVAILABLE CAN HAVE FOR FAMILIES
David Lovely relies on the LMTS center in Lansing, which provides families with free food without restrictions or limits.
"If I didn't come to place like this, we would…we would just be scrapping by," Lovely said.
The LMTS director emphasized the importance of their work.
"We do this because food insecurity is a real thing," the director said.
With schools heading to summer break, another challenge emerges for families like Lovely's who depend on the state's free breakfast and lunch program.
"For students experiencing food insecurity that last school bell also mean 90 days away from school meal programs," Katlyn Cardoso said.
While free summer meal programs exist around mid-Michigan, many don't start until mid-June, creating a gap between the end of school and the beginning of summer programs.
When asked about resources for families during this transition period, Cardoso with the Greater Lansing Food Bank offered solutions.
"GLFB has our weekend kits program which offers kid friendly bags of food… and into the summer we are partnering with a lot of community organizations like libraries and summer kids camps to continue offer that service," Cardoso said.
For Lovely, these resources are invaluable.
"You know you try to get by and try to do the best you can for your kids and your family, it means a lot," Lovely said.
I compiled a list of resources our neighbors around Mid-Michigan can access for free meals:
- Meet up and Eat up will provide breakfast and lunch for children 18 and younger, Monday through Friday all summer long. Here are some of the locations, set to open sometime in June.
- The Greater Lansing summer weekend kits are bags of food to feed children during non-school hours. Different locations for pickup are listed here.
- In Jackson, there are food pantries and food assistance available listed here. Days and times vary.
- The summer EBT program helps families to buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Families will get $120 for each eligible child to buy groceries during the summer. More information is listed here.
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