History
and
Programs
A Network of Over 400 Partner Agencies Reaching
Out to 22 Counties
Food Bank of Eastern Michigan
2312 Lapeer Rd. ‐ Flint, MI 48503
(810)239‐4441/ Fax(810)239‐4498
Since 1981, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan has vigorously pursued this mission to eradicate hunger within the community. With initial funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Food Bank began providing grocery items to the needy in Genesee County
from a small portion of the Sullivan & O'Sullivan Distributors warehouse. With a steadily increasing need for its services, the Food Bank soon grew from a staff of three operating out of this rented space to a five person staff operating out of a 90' x 100' donated warehouse.
The Food Bank became an affiliated member of the United Way in 1985 and joined Feeding America, a national network of food banks, in 1987. These organizations further enabled the Food Bank to continue expanding its service area, distributing food to those in need throughout 22 counties.
By 1990, the Food Bank had outgrown its location once again and moved to its current location on Lapeer Road. The existing warehouse was increased from 17,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet, but the space was still not adequate and as distribution continued to increase. It became necessary to construct a 20,000 square foot addition, increasing the warehouse space to 42,000 square feet.
In 2002, Feeding America recognized the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan as the number one food bank in the nation with the Excellence in Food Banking Award. The Food Bank has also been honored with six Model Program Awards from Feeding America for innovative programs in technology, distribution, fund raising, public relations and programs.
In 2008, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan finished construction on the Thomas Landaal Food Recovery Center with a freezer, cooler and dock addition to aid in the Perishable Food Recovery Program with grocery chains. Partnerships with Sam’s Club, Walmart, Kroger Stores and now Meijer, bring a valuable mix of donated product into the Food Bank daily for agency distribution. Total building capacity now exceeds 50,000 square feet for operations.
Today the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan provides over 21 million pounds of food each year to those in need through more than 415 partner agencies. In 2012, the Food Bank experienced a 12% increase in pounds distributed to partners. Partner Agencies consist of local soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and food pantries who strive to feed the more than 300,000 people in eastern Michigan who go hungry on a daily basis. The excellent relationships established within the Food Bank’s 22 county service area and throughout the state has allowed for numerous programs and initiatives to help fight hunger.
Food Bank of
Backpack Program:
Each weekend, children receive backpacks of nutritious snacks to supplement weekend meals at home through the Food Bank’s Backpack Program. Designed to provide extra support during weekends for children who typically receive free or reduced priced lunches at school, this innovative program is currently helping kids in 99 schools in 14 counties, the backpack program distributes over 17,000 backpacks per month.
Kids Cafe:
In 1996, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, in conjunction with Salvation Army - Beecher Corps, opened the first soup kitchen for kids in eastern Michigan. Kids Cafes provide an after school safe haven where children can receive a meal and participate in activities at 25 sites in eastern Michigan with over 1,200 children receiving meals on weeknights during the school week.
Hunger Education and ABC12 School Spirit:
By targeting children, who have an amazing capacity to learn new concepts and to share that information with others, the Hunger Education Program meets a need within the community for impactful lessons about hunger. The program teaches children and youth about local hunger and breaks stereotypes and myths associated with hunger.
ABC12 School Spirit brings this message right to local school districts each week during the school year. Students raise food and funds each week prior to the Food Bank’s visit.
Holiday Box Program:
Each year, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan with the help of numerous volunteer groups, assembles food boxes that are made available to all agencies for holiday distribution. Each box provides a holiday dinner and food to stock a pantry for one week and are offered in different sizes to accommodate the family appropriately. In 2012, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan distributed 4,667 boxes during December.
Senior Box Program:
The Food Bank launched a program in the spring of 2000 to provide low-income seniors with 45-50 pounds of food each month for $200 per year. Community businesses, service groups, church affiliations and more have stepped forward to sponsor seniors in the program. Nearly 200 seniors citizens receive a monthly food box with this program.
Progr
ams and Community Support
Mass Feeding Program:
With an increased fleet of semi-trailers and a tractor through various grants and community support, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan offers a Mass Feeding Program that is currently in place with 6 partner agencies. Each week, the agencies receive a truckload full of product for distribution on the day of the drop. Hundreds of seniors, families and individuals greet the truck’s arrival and receive food assistance. The Mass Feeding Program targets areas of persistent poverty and offers abundant relief to those in need.
Summer Food Service Program:
The summer feeding program was developed in June of 2003 to assist Saginaw and Genesee Counties agencies in providing meals to underprivileged children during the summer months. Funds were not available for these counties so FBEM stepped in and partnered with the USDA to provide more than 77,700 meals to at risk children in 2012 at nearly 54 locations to provide meals each day.
Mobile Food Pantry:
The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and its Partner Agencies are providing food to neighborhoods by the truckload. Featuring an average of 13,000 - 15,000 pounds of food stored in the bays of a former beverage trailer, the Mobile Pantry allows agencies the ability to target areas of great need- even though they may not be physically located in that area. The Mobile Pantry averages 8-10 deliveries a month, 12 months a year.
Thomas Landaal Food Recovery Center and the Store Pick-Up Program:
In 2009, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan expanded this program to store pick-ups of fresh product at local stores including Kroger, Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart. With the completion of the Thomas Landaal Food Recovery Center, the Food Bank is able to accommodate 12 semi-trailers of refrigerated product and 14 semi-trailers of frozen items.
The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan sincerely thanks the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Allen Foundation and Consumers Energy for their contributions to the expansion project and ABC12 and the Walt Disney Company for donating the property behind the Food Bank, making the entire project possible.
The Store Pick-Up Program generated over three million pounds of food in 2012 thanks to the generosity of Kroger, Meijer, Sam’s Club, Target and Walmart. This program provides frozen meats, fresh produce and bakery items to 22 counties of Michigan through the Food Bank’s network agencies. Prior to this program, nutritious options in
Programs
Community Support
Empty Bowls:
In recognition of Hunger Action Month, a new signature event has been added to highlight the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan with help from local artists, restaurants and business sponsors. The Food Bank’s second in-house
Empty Bowls event was held in the Food Bank’s warehouse in September raising over $37,000 to help feed the hungry. Originating from Mr. John Hartom’s 1990 project with high school students, our Empty Bowls event welcomed more than 1,200 people into the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. We look forward to bringing together more artisans, local businesses and community members each year during Hunger Action Month!
Food Drives:
The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is supported by hundreds of local food drives spearheaded by school, church, community and business groups. The two largest national drives include the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive and the Boy Scouts of America, Scouting for Food. Food drives represent a large portion of assorted reclamation product brought into the Food Bank and offers agencies a wide variety of choice items to take back to their pantries.
Holiday Campaign:
A truly unique partnership of business, radio, newspaper and television outlets combine during one month of the year to raise awareness and money for the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. Each December, the Holiday Campaign is in full force. Spearheaded and culminated by a series of editorial articles in The Flint Journal, the Envelope Campaign generated contributions from an envelope insert in The Flint Journal, Bay City Times and Saginaw News. Combined with excellent coverage on ABC12 with billboards from CBS Outdoor, a great movement occurs with giving. Baker College, Kettering University, Mott Community College and University of Michigan, Flint collaborate on the College Town Food Drive each year as well, challenging students and faculty to raise food and money.
Scan Away Hunger and Citizens Against Hunger with VG’s Food Centers along with Citizens Bank and The State Bank branches, allow customers the opportunity to donate in each location. Hurley Health and Fitness allows a discount joining fee for a contribution to the Food Bank. Numerous other community events occur during the month and the community rallies to raise the total each year with 2012 reaching $926,000.
Volunteer Programs:
The Food Bank has partnered with numerous human service agencies and community organizations to build local volunteer support. During the week and on most weekends, volunteer support may come from diverse groups such as: Community Mental Health, Jobs Central, Flint Residential Care Center, the Michigan Department of Corrections, local
Rotary, Kiwanis, and Zonta Clubs, as well as school and church youth groups.
Karol Conrad is the Volunteer Coordinator at the Food Bank. She can be reached at
Fa
cts
About the F
ood Bank and Hunger
Delivery Locations PRESQUE ISLE ROSCOMMON OGEMAW IOSCO ARENAC GLADWIN Bay City Pinconning BAY HURON Caro SANILAC ST. CLAIR TUSCOLA LAPEER GENESEE MIDLAND SAGINAW Indian River CHEBOYGAN
OTSEGO MONT MOR ENC Y
ALCONA OSCODA CRAWFORD ALPENA Alpena Gaylord Tawas City Flint Midland Saginaw Cheboygan West Branch Harrisville Grayling Omer Marlette Imlay City Port Huron Atlanta Mio Prudenville Houghton Lake
...Was established in 1981 as a non-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
...Distributed 21 million pounds of food in 2012 with a 12% increase to agencies.
...Distributes food to more than 415 partner agencies in 22 counties.
...Operates out of a 50,000 square foot warehouse and distribution center. ...Is a member of Feeding America, the Nation’s Food Bank Network and claimed 2002 Food Bank of the Year. ...Is a United Way Agency in Genesee, Lapeer and Saginaw Counties.
...Every dollar equates to six meals for someone in need.
P
ROGRAMS BACKPACK SNACKPACK HOLIDAY BOX PROGRAM HUNGER EDUCATION KIDS CAFE™MASS FEEDING PROGRAM
MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
STORE PICK-UP PROGRAM
SPORTSMEN AGAINST HUNGER
SENIOR BOX PROGRAM
SNAP OUTREACH
SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM
E
VENTSANDD
RIVESABC12 SCHOOL SPIRIT
EMPTY BOWLS
DRIVE AGAINST HUNGER
GOLF OUTING
FEINSTEIN AGAINST HUNGER
FOOD DRIVES
HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN
HUNGER ACTION MONTH
LEPRE’COD GOLF OUTING
NALC FOOD DRIVE
SCOUTINGFOR FOOD
The
Food
Bank
of
Eastern
Michigan...
Mission Statement
The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is the
Food Source for people in need.
Partnering with organizations to feed the hungry,
we build a community solution to a community problem.
By leveraging an abundance of product from a multitude
of sources, we “Change the Face of Hunger.”
DIFFICULT
CHOICES
For
Our
Neighbors
in
eastern
Michigan
41%
OF
CLIENT
HOUSEHOLDS
reported
having
to
choose
between
paying
for
housing
or
food,
a
9%
increase
over
the
last
study.
in
eastern
Michigan
26%
OF
CLIENT
HOUSEHOLDS
reported
having
to
choose
between
paying
for
medicine
or
food.
42%
in
eastern
Michigan
OF
CLIENT
HOUSEHOLDS
reported
having
to
choose
between
paying
for
utilities/heat
or
food.
Mission Statement
The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is the Food Source for people in need.
Partnering with organizations to feed the hungry, we build a community solution to a community problem. By leveraging an abundance of product from a multitude of sources, we “Change the Face of Hunger.”
Hunger in America 2010, a comprehensive research study on hunger, captures the significant connection between the recent economic downturn and an increased need for emergency food assistance. The information collected for the 2010 study includes data collected from February through June, 2009. The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan conducted face-to-face interviews with 434 people seeking emergency food at food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency feeding programs, as well as interviews with more than 290 agencies that provide food assistance. Nationally, Feeding America collected quantitative and qualitative feedback from 61,000 face-to-face in-depth interviews with people seeking emergency food
assistance and more than 37,000 agency surveys, making this study the largest,
most-comprehensive ever conducted on domestic hunger.
USDA reported in November 2009 that an estimated 49 million people, including 17 million children, are at risk of hunger in this country. Hunger In America 2010 reinforces the dramatically increasing need for food assistance in the United States. Nationally, more than one in three client households are experiencing very low food security or hunger - a 54 percent increase in the number of households compared to four years ago. An estimated 5.7 million people receive emergency food assistance each week from a food pantry, soup kitchen, or other agency served by one of Feeding America’s more than 200 food banks, including the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. This is a 27 percent increase over numbers reported in Hunger in America 2006, which reported that 4.5 million people were served each week.
IN EASTERN MICHIGAN . . .
More than 33% of all client households are experiencing very low food security or hunger, a nearly 7% percent increase in the number of households compared to four years ago. An estimated 30,800 people receive emergency food assistance each week from a food pantry, soup kitchen, or other agency served by the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.
WHO’S HUNGRY. . .
Approximately 55% of all individuals receiving food assistance are white, 35% are black or African America, and 8% are Hispanic.
Of those receiving food, 5% are over the age of 65 and 42% are under the age of 18. 36.5% of all client households reported having to choose between paying for housing and Paying for food.
31.8% of all client households had at least one working adult- a decline of 8% compared
to Hunger in America 2006.
While 32% all households indicate there is someone in poor health, 13% have no health insurance. 61.4% of all client households receive SNAP (formerly Food Stamp) benefits, compared to 57.6% in 2006, an increase of 4% in participation.
A complete copy of the local report can be obtained from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.
D e li v e ry Loc a ti o ns PR ES Q U E IS LE RO S C O M M O N OGE M A W IO S C O AR E N AC GL A D W IN Ba y Ci ty P inc o n n ing BA Y HU R O N Ca ro S A NI L A C ST . C L A IR TU S C O L A L A PEER G E N E SEE M ID L A ND SA G IN A W India n R iv e r C H E B OY GA N OT S E G O MO N T MO R E N C Y AL C O N A OS C O D A CR A W F O RD A L PEN A A lpe na Ga y lo rd T a w as C it y Flint Mi d la n d Sa g in a w C h e b oy ga n W e st B ran ch Ha rri s v il le G ra yling Om e r Ma rl e tt e Im la y Ci ty Po rt Hu ro n At la n ta Mi o P rude n v ill e H o ug hton L ake een Recy cling pbell, Alpena 48907 T A ch of C hrist MI 497 09 elt a Co nt ai ne r treet, Bay Ci ty 487 06 hurch of th e Na za rene Road, Car o 48723 9721 Building E. Fifth Street, Gaylord 49735 ING d C ounty H elp C enter treet, Grayli ng 4973 8 S. State, Harrisville 48740 T ON LAKE on Comm. on Aging - Community Ctr.
ne Road, Houghton Lake 48629
A
Y CI
T
Y
City
Road, Imlay City
484 44 AN R IVER Assembly of God ay, Indian R iver 49749 MARLET TE Marlette Uni ted Methodist Chur ch 3155 Main St reet, Marlette 4 8453
MIDLAND The Arn
old Cent er 400 Wexfor d, Mi dland 48640 MI O
Oscoda Council on Aging 429 N. Mt. T
om Road, Mi o 48674 OMER Sunrise Si de Seni or Citi zens 131 Clyde Street, Omer 48749 P INC ON NIN G Pinconning Food Pa ntr y
3141 Whyte, Pinconning 48650 PORT HUR
O N PCC Community S ervi ces 1125 12th S treet, Port H uron 48 060
PRUDENVILLE Project Hope 2563 Gladwi
n Road, Pr
udenvill
e
SAGINAW Saginaw Vall
ey Rehabilitation Center 919 Veter ans Memori al Parkway, Saginaw 4860 1 TAW A S St. Vincent De Pa ul 115 1st Street, Tawas 4 8763
WEST BRANCH West Br
anch Police S tati on 113 N. First St., West Br anch 48661
HELPING 22 COUNTIES
DELIVERY SITES AND ADDRESSES
FOOD BANK OF EASTERN MICHI
G
Shared Maintenance is the sharing the cost associated with providing food to the hungry of our 22 county service area. The Shared Maintenance Fee for Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is never over 19 cents per pound and typically averages around 8 cents per pound. Dairy, bread and produce is always available FREE – with no shared maintenance fee ever assigned. No-where else can our Partner Agencies find a consistent supply of good quality food and other household products, at a value per pound of an average of 8 cents per pound!
Why does a Partner Agency pay a shared maintenance fee?
The fee is designed to share with all agencies the costs of operating Food Bank of Eastern Michigan as a distribution center. The shared maintenance fee helps pay for the transportation of products to our warehouse and from us to partners in the outer reaches of our service region; assists in procuring products which are in short supply, such as protein; helps support a full-time professional staff; maintains a warehouse with dry, refrigerated and freezer space; and covers other overhead costs.
What allows the Food Bank to charge a shared maintenance fee?
The IRS has established that Food Banks are authorized to request network agencies to contribute a shared maintenance fee to share in the cost of procuring and distributing food as long as individuals being served by a network agency are not charged for food provided by the agency.
Our Partner Agencies are required to sign a document stating that the individuals they serve will not be charged a fee for the food they receive whether in the form of cooked meals, snacks or emergency packages.
Does the shared maintenance fee vary? YES
Feeding America, provides guidelines regarding the shared maintenance fee and how it is ad-ministered. The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan varies the fee for any one product based on the price it pays obtaining it, typically transportation. A fee for a particular item will never be more than the maximum set by Feeding America and the IRS, currently at 19 cents per pound for reclamation product.
In addition, if we have an abundance of a particular product, that is free from shared mainte-nance based on the nutritious value of the product in which we believe should be available to everyone without cost. These items include dairy, bread and produce. The average shared maintenance fee is calculated each year with the Food Bank’s annual audit and typically averages 8 cents per pound.
