Everyone needs nutritious food to thrive. Across mid-Michigan our neighbors are working hard to provide for themselves and their families. And yet, tonight, a working mother will skip dinner so her kids can eat a nourishing meal after practice. At an empty kitchen table, parents will make wrenching decisions between paying rent and buying groceries. A senior will go hungry because he did not have enough money left for food after filling his prescriptions. These scenarios are just a handful of what we see play out in households across the region each day.

In mid-Michigan, nearly 100,000 people - 1 in every 7 individuals - are food insecure, including 22,290 children. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecurity can happen because of short-term setbacks, such as a layoff or hospitalization. It can also be the result of long-term forces like a lack of affordable housing or lack of reliable transportation.

MERS of Michigan is teaming up with Greater Lansing Food Bank to raise more than 1,720 meals for our neighbors. Help us by donating towards our fund goal of $500 or our food goal of 200 items!