Michigan Families for Fair Care and Punks With Lunch Lansing hosted the “Hunger Doesn’t Take Summer Vacation” Food Drive on Thursday, collecting $2,000 worth of shelf-stable food donations to support neighbors across Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. With school out for the summer and the free meals many students rely on now on pause, community members and volunteers came together at the Punks With Lunch Lansing office to help families struggling to cover the basics.
The drive came as families across the district have felt the squeeze of rising grocery costs and the largest cuts to SNAP in the program’s history, enacted through the Republican Tax Law. Expanded hurdles for benefits have stripped food assistance from many veterans, older adults, and parents, while Michigan food banks report growing demand. For thousands of Lansing-area families, the loss of summer school meals only deepens the strain as more than 10% of Michigan SNAP recipients in the last 10 months have lost food assistance benefits.
Congressman Tom Barrett voted for the Republican Tax Law that made those cuts, prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy over food assistance for working families. He has also supported tariffs that drive up the cost of groceries and other essentials — leaving MI-07 families to shoulder the burden while their representative backs the policies behind it.
“I know what hunger and anxiety over where your next meal will come from can do to a person. No family in this district should have to wonder how they’ll feed their kids over summer break.” said Jerry, MI-07 constituent. “Meanwhile, Congressman Barrett voted for the largest cuts to food assistance in history and backed tariffs that keep grocery bills climbing, all to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. Congressman Barrett, stop putting billionaire tax breaks ahead of hungry families and start fighting to protect SNAP and lower costs for the people you represent.”
Throughout the morning, as volunteers collected and distributed donations, the community stepped up where elected officials have fallen short. Michigan Families for Fair Care continues to educate residents about the impact of Congressman Barrett’s votes and the importance of protecting the programs working families depend on. As well as, continue partnering with organizations like Punks with Lunch Lansing to host more events for the community.
