In observance of National Food Bank Day, Michigan Families for Fair Care hosted a community food drive in response to Congress making significant cuts to nutrition assistance programs that millions of Michigan families depend on.
Michigan's more than 2,800 hunger relief agencies are in crisis as federal funding freezes have forced many food pantries to adjust their distribution by giving low-income families more canned goods and less fresh food. The situation has become more dire as working families already struggle with rising costs for basic necessities.
"I've watched families come in who are working two jobs but still can't afford to feed their kids properly – SNAP benefits aren't luxury, they're survival,” said Marna Wilson, Ingham County resident and church pantry volunteer. “These cuts don't just hurt numbers on paper – they hurt single moms, veterans, and the elderly couple who was looking to retire. People who've lived in Lansing their whole lives, are being priced out at the grocery shop."
Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-7) voted for the Republican Tax Law, which saw benefits for the ultra-wealthy increase exponentially, at the expense of low-income households. This has resulted in thousands of Michiganders, women, children, and the elderly included, now facing increased food insecurity.
"Michigan families are facing an impossible choice between paying bills and buying groceries, and recent SNAP cuts have only made this crisis worse. Congressman Tom Barrett's support for the Republican Tax Law handed massive benefits to wealthy corporations while pulling the safety net out from under struggling families. When our elected officials choose to prioritize millionaire tax breaks over feeding hungry children and seniors, they're abandoning their most basic responsibility to serve working people," said Steve Lawson, Executive Director of Michigan Families for Fair Care.
