Emergency Food Insecurity Community Response – Pause SNAP and WIC Benefits
Bay City, MI – Amid rising concerns about the pause of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Women, Infant, Children) benefits, a coalition of philanthropy, government, educational, and business partners have come together to provide a coordinated response to support our neighbors struggling with food insecurity.
Approximately 16,566 Bay County residents rely on SNAP benefits to purchase groceries and an additional more than 2,100 utilize WIC as assistance to purchase fresh food and formula for their children.
The coalition is:
• Coordinating with nonprofits, schools, municipalities, and health and human service agencies to find ways to fill funding gaps and assist with alternative food distribution plans.
• Keeping lines of communication open among key stakeholders to discuss immediate and long-term solutions and to ensure a unified response.
• Ensuring 2-1-1 Northeast Michigan is prepared to respond as needed and is working with referral partners to get a sense of how they are intending to respond.
As immediate short-term initiatives, the coalition has:
• Established a Food Insecurity Emergency Fund for both Bay and Arenac counties at the Bay Area Community Foundation. The purpose of this fund is to gather contributions for rapid deployment to community-based organizations who are working on the frontlines to ensure that all resources are deployed to help triage food insecurity, our children are cared for, and emergency needs of our neighbors and families are met.
The fund is designed to complement the work of our food pantries and expand local capacity to address this unprecedented situation, particularly among those who are disproportionately impacted by the consequences of this pause in funding. Contributions to the fund can be made online at www.bayfoundation.org or via mail (payable to BACF with Food Insecurity and either Bay or Arenac noted in memo line) at 1000 Adams Street, Suite 200, Bay City, MI 48708. Please call 989-893-4438 with questions.
• Convened the Bay County Food Council that is comprised of food pantries, soup kitchens and food distribution sites to establish a coordinated effort of food collection and distribution.
• Collected food donations of non-perishable items can be dropped off at the United Way of Bay County, 909 Washington Ave., Bay City between 9 AM – 3 PM, Monday through Friday. These donations will be used to stock the shelves at local pantries and not be distributed directly to individuals.
In addition to financial contributions or non-perishable food donations, community members can also support by volunteering at one of the organizations serving food. Look for opportunities at www.unitedwaybaycounty.org.
If you would like to learn about how you can help, please contact the Bay Area Community Foundation (shawnaw@bayfoundation.org or 989-893-4438) or United Way of Bay County (nicole@unitedwaybaycounty.org or 989-893-7508).
For anyone who is experiencing food insecurity, please dial 2-1-1 or visit www.211nemichigan.org to be connected to local resources.
Coalition Partners:
Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
Bay Area Community Foundation
Bay Arenac Intermediate School District
Bay County
City of Bay City
United Way of Bay County