In 2024, GLFB distributed more than 99,600 Weekend Kits to kids across mid-Michigan.
The year 2008 stands out for most people as a year marked by significant challenges. The financial crisis, triggered by the collapse of major banks and the housing market crash, led to widespread job losses and a deep recession that reshaped economies and lives.
Elizabeth remembers 2008 as the first year she needed help keeping food on the table for her family.
“I had just left [my children’s] father and went from having a fairly stable, suburban life, working part-time with another income provider, to being on my own with four kids,” Elizabeth recalls. “It was a big change, all of the sudden we had to learn all these resources that we had never needed before.”
One of the resources Elizabeth found was what is now Greater Lansing Food Bank’s (GLFB) Weekend Kits program. These kits, designed to discreetly slip into children’s backpacks, provide essential nutrition outside of school hours for students and their families. Each kit is packed with kid-friendly, easy to prepare meals and snacks to provide up to eight meals.
“We [used] the program for two years,” Elizabeth reflected. “But I knew a lot of other families in the community who [used] them briefly — maybe when a parent lost a job or during another transition.”
According to the latest food insecurity data release, childhood food insecurity rose by 30.4 percent overall in GLFB’s seven-county service area. Early childhood is a crucial phase of physical and social-emotional development. Because of this, food insecurity in the early years of life is particularly detrimental.
Thanks to the Weekend Kits program, Elizabeth not only found a resource to help her family navigate a difficult time and get back on their feet — her experience also inspired her to help make sure others know help is there when you need it.
“While my kids were attending a local, free summer camp I had the opportunity to hand [Weekend Kits] out to other parents as well,” Elizabeth said. “I remember another mother came in and she just looked so ashamed. I was able to say, ‘We get these too, my son really likes the fruit snacks.’ That was able to break the stigma.”
If Elizabeth could speak to someone facing food insecurity for the first time, she would want to tell them that it’s okay to get help. “We all have those bumps in the road, you are not alone in this,” she said. “There are far more of us [needing help] than people might realize.”
If you are facing food insecurity, help is available. For individual neighbors and families in need of assistance, GLFB has a network of local food pantries, mobile food distribution sites, community meal sites and specialized food programs. You can find food assistance — available in eight languages — in your area at https://greaterlansingfoodbank.org/get-help.
Hungry to help? You can also support GLFB’s efforts to ensure no child in mid-Michigan goes hungry by donating food, funds or time as a volunteer.