LANSING, Mich. With no end in sight to the economic turmoil spurred by the pandemic, a mid-Michigan community is launching an innovative program to ensure families have food on the table. Through a $500,000 donation from Consumers Energy and several community partners, the new Our Town program in Jackson will distribute meals prepared by more than 20 local restaurants to people in need. .
Michigan Food Security Remains A Question
The job of making sure Michigan residents have enough food to eat is becoming a monumental task. Over 1.2 million in the state are eligible and now receiving federal SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits which are administered by the state. The COVID-19 virus outbreak and resulting closing orders and restrictions on Michigan residents have left hundreds of thousands without jobs and struggling to keep afloat.
Last August, Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer decided some experts were needed to work to try and manage the worsening situation. She announced the formation of a Food Security Council. Its job is to review ongoing food assistance efforts and decide what else needs to be done.
As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens the economy and more Michiganders struggle to afford food, a new report says Michigan must strengthen its food supply by prioritizing food workers for PPE, and help ensure more food makes it the last mile to residents in need.
The Food Security Council, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created in August, made the recommendations to inform the state’s response to a potential second wave of COVID-19 or future public health emergency, according to a report issued in October. Whitmer released the group s recommendations Monday.
The recommendations arrive as the state s central 2-1-1 dashboard reports food pantries as one of the top reasons people contact the hotline and agencies that deliver meals to homebound seniors in November said they saw a surge in need, but fewer volunteers and funding. Michiganders on federal food assistance stand to get a 15% increase in benefits later this month, through the latest stimulus package.
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Laurium resident Kathy Hendrickson receives her first COVID-19 vaccine on Monday at the Aspirus Laurium Clinic. Aspirus Health began vaccinating the first community members against COVID-19 on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Aspirus Health)
MARQUETTE Public Health, Delta & Menominee Counties is temporarily pausing scheduling for COVID-19 vaccine clinics for individuals age 65 and older because of a statewide vaccine shortage.
PHDM announced on Monday that it, as well as other local health department and health system partners, were notified that requests for vaccine in Michigan surpassed federal allocations for the upcoming week by more than 210,000 doses.
It said vaccination partners in the state requested 270,000 doses while the total vaccine allocation to Michigan for the week was 50,000 doses.
Whitmer
Gov. Whitmer receives recommendations from Food Security Council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Efforts to ensure access to food during COVID-19 continue
LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Food Security Council is making several recommendations to ensure Michigan families have access to nutritious food during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recommendations are a continuation of the swift action the state has already taken to address food insecurity related to COVID-19. The goal is to help residents already struggling to feed their families as well as those facing food insecurity for the first time due to job losses or other challenges related to the pandemic.