Every day, more than 500 people in Macomb County, just north of Detroit, rely on local food pantries for their next meal and the Macomb Food Program directly helps many families in need.
Founded in 1975, the Macomb Food Program helps stock more than 55 pantries and partners with various hunger relief organizations in Macomb County. The program also assists over 1,000 homeless students in the county. The program works with the Community Food Bank of Macomb County to make sure food gets to the people who need it most.
Bob Combs, a longtime board member with the Macomb Food Program, calls the partnership with Meijer Simply Give crucial. “The Simply Give donations and Double Match Days allow us to increase the impact of every dollar we raise,” Bob said. “That means more food on pantry shelves and more meals for families.”
Through Simply Give, the Macomb Food Program helps the Community Food Bank purchase exactly what it needs when it needs it – and that flexibility makes all the difference.
“The Community Food Bank had a recent shortage of canned chicken, and thanks to Meijer, they were able to get enough to stock their shelves,” Bob said.
Bruce VanMaele, Store Director of the Shelby Township Meijer, says Bob is a frequent visitor to the store, stopping in to express his gratitude. The relationship started a couple of years ago when Bob came by to introduce himself and explain his food program.
“We developed a great partnership/friendship, and our store asked what we could do to help them,” Bruce said. “I brought our market Store Directors over to their building, where we were given a tour of their facility and discussed the services they provide to the community. Since then, we have teamed up a few times, helping to pack food bags as a group, and we’ve also put together coupons and other items that would be sent out to families in Macomb County.”
Beyond helping stock pantries through the Simply Give program, the Macomb Food Program also helps children facing food insecurity. Through our partnership, the program provides $15 Meijer gift cards to more than 1,000 homeless children in Macomb County each year. These cards allow the families of students to pick out food during school breaks, helping to fill the gap when free and reduced-price meals aren’t available.
“We let the districts identify the students who need help, and we provide the cards to them directly,” Bob said. “It’s a simple way to make sure kids have access to food, and we appreciate the assistance of Meijer in helping make the project work.”
The need for food assistance has grown dramatically – up 70% since 2021 – so the Macomb Food Program is launching a new grant program to help local pantries.
With a volunteer board of 11 people and no paid staff, the program runs efficiently, so every donation makes an impact.
“We appreciate all food donations, but financial support gives us the flexibility to buy what’s most needed,” Bob said. “Somebody might donate a lot of canned beans, but if we don’t have any protein to go with it, we’re still missing an essential piece.”
Meijer is proud to support the Macomb Food Program and their mission in fighting hunger in our communities. As the organization approaches its 50th anniversary, we look forward to continuing this partnership and helping more families in need.
To learn more about the Macomb Food Program, visit https://macombfoodprogram.org/