Region IV Area Agency on Aging receives many inquiries about food availability. Below are some resources for those needing food and those seeking fresh fruit and vegetables this summer.
For emergency food assistance, regardless of age, call 2-1-1 to find food pantries near you. You will be asked to put in your zip code and then just follow the prompts for food assistance. Feeding America West Michigan is another good resource for emergency food and facilitates the Mobile Food Pantry truck which has distribution days throughout the year in various locations around Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties. Many Mobile Food Pantry sites will allow you to pick up food as a proxy (stand-in) for another household that cannot physically attend. You will need to be prepared to provide the name, address and household size of any other family you are picking up for. Most Mobile Pantry sites have a limit on how many households you can pick up for and should tell you that limit if you ask. Following are some upcoming distribution days and locations, subject to change, so be sure to check with Feeding America or the local site. The majority of the sites are drive-through pick up, unless otherwise noted:
Bangor, 6/13 at 11am, Geneva Twp Hall, 62127 CR 380; Benton Harbor, 6/13 at 4pm, Kinexus, 499 W Main St; South Haven, 6/14 at 11am, First Congregational Church, 651 Phoenix St; Stevensville, 6/15 at 4pm, United Methodist Church, 5506 Ridge Rd; Sawyer, 6/16 at 3:30pm, Harbert Community Church, 6444 Harbert Rd; Marcellus, 6/17 at 11am, United Methodist Church, 197 W Main St; Galien, 6/20 at 4pm, Galien Twp Hall, 305 Kiley Dr; Niles, 6/21 at 3pm, Hope Community Church, 2390 Lake St; Dowagiac, 6/22 at 3pm; Lyons Industries, 30000 M-62 W; St. Joseph, 6/23 at 12:30pm, Trinity Lutheran Church Ministry Center, 619 Main St; Niles, 6/24 at 3pm, First Baptist Church, 1446 E Main St; New Troy, 6/27 at 4pm, New Troy Community Center, 13372 California Rd; Dowagiac, 6/28 at 4pm, ACTION Ministry Center, 301 Main St; Coloma, 6/29 at 4pm, North Berrien Fire Dept, 170 Washington St; and Benton Harbor, 6/20 at noon; Brotherhood of All Nations C.O.G.I.C., 516 Emery St.
For more information about Feeding America’s programs, you can go to www.feedwm.org or call the Benton Harbor site at 269-926-2646.
Another fresh food source during the summer are Farmer’s Markets, many of which allow for people to use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. When you use your Bridge Card, Double Up matches your fruit and vegetable purchases dollar for dollar, up to $20 a day. The Michigan Farm Market Association reports there are over 150 farm markets across Michigan that are certified to accept SNAP benefits such as the Bridge Card, Double Up, WIC and Senior Project FRESH vouchers.
Some of the larger, weekly markets are as follows: Benton Harbor, on Wednesdays through Sept, from 10am-4pm, at 127 Pipestone; St. Joseph, on Saturdays through Oct., from 9am-2pm in the Bluff Park on Lake Blvd; South Haven, on Saturdays through Oct. and on Wednesdays through Aug. 31, from 8am-2pm, and an evening market Thursdays, June 2 – July 7th, from 4-7pm, at the Huron Street Pavilion; and Lawrence, on Saturdays in July through Oct., from 9am – 1pm in the Village Park.