With kids out of school for the holidays thousands of local families are struggling to put food on the table. On Monday they got some help as the city of Lansing handed out food boxes to bridge that gap.
The wait was worth it for Malinda Pearson, who lined up at the Meijer off Lake Lansing. Pearson's four children get breakfast and lunch at school, but vacation means those meals are gone and this year she couldn't afford it on her own.
"When they're in school it's different but when they're at home, they eat more," Pearson said.
Pearson is one of nearly 2,000 people getting help from Lansing's Connect 4 Kids. The program partners with Meijer and the Greater Lansing Food Bank to make sure families have enough meals while school's out.
"It's hard to explain to a 2 or 3 year old why there's nothing on the table, but it's a community effort to make sure that those basic needs are met," said Joan Jackson Johnson, Lansing's Director of Human Relations & Community Services.
The program is designed for families who don't qualify for other assistance, but Jackson Johnson says the challenge is making sure families who need help get on the list.
"Sometimes people are ashamed to ask for help, but we want them to know that they aren't alone, that this is part of our responsibilities as a community," she added.
More families signed up for the program this year because their food stamps were reduced and Jackson Johnson says meeting that need has been difficult for the city.
"Our resources unfortunately aren't growing as fast," she explained. "We're trying to find some other ways through the community to make sure that no one goes to bed hungry."
It's an assurance Pearson is grateful she can give her kids.
"It will make a big difference, it will help out a whole lot," she added.
Families have to sign up for the Connect 4 Kids program in advance. The city distributes food boxes eight times during the year.
