Dear friends,
Earlier this week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced that due to the ongoing federal government funding lapse, November SNAP benefits will not be issued to Michigan families.
This is incredibly challenging news to hear. It will affect about 1.4 million people across our state - nearly 1 in 7 households. 78% of these households earn a regular income - it's just not enough to cover their family's essential needs. Here in Ottawa and Allegan Counties, that’s close to 30,000 of our neighbors who count on SNAP each month to put food on the table.
For neighbors working hard but still living paycheck to paycheck, even a brief disruption in benefits can mean an empty fridge, skipped meals, or a choice between paying rent and buying groceries. For children, seniors, and people with disabilities - who make up a large share of SNAP recipients - this pause will be especially devastating. It’s hard to imagine a worse entry into the holiday season for so many families in our community.
More families than ever will turn to us for support in November.
Our team is preparing, putting plans in place to meet the many neighbors who will call on us for the first time – and provide extra support for many of our current Food Club members who are losing the SNAP benefits they count on. With those benefits cut off, they’ll have to stretch even further, and local nonprofits like ours will have to stretch with them.
This community’s generosity has always been our strength - and we will need it again. Local compassion can’t fully replace the scale of federal programs families count on - but it can change the story for our neighbors, right now. The choices made on a national level matter, but so do the ones we make here at home: how communities like ours speak up, show up, and act together.
How You Can Help:
Give Generously. Even small gifts - $5, $10, or $20 - help keep healthy meals within reach for families working hard to keep healthy food on the table. Every $85 helps cover our monthly costs of serving one more family with the dignity they deserve.
Volunteer. As we get busier, we’ll need many more volunteers to sort, stock, and help guests. We’re already adding more November Food Club volunteer shifts - please sign up for a spot today!
Host a Food Drive. As need grows, our food purchasing costs will rise. Businesses, schools, and faith groups can help keep our shelves stocked & costs down by collecting essential items.
Advocate. Call your elected representatives. Tell them that programs like SNAP are not optional - they are lifelines that keep our communities healthy and stable. We need SNAP - there is no charitable substitute for the scale and impact of this critical program. Read more about how we’re raising awareness in the Holland Sentinel and with Fox17 news.
We were built for moments like these, powered by people like you - compassionate neighbors who believe a brighter future is possible when we all show up together. To advocate. To volunteer. To donate. We need your support to make sure families have the healthy food they need this holiday season and beyond.
Thank you for standing with us.
Gratefully,
Scott Rumpsa | CEO
Learn more at communityactionhouse.org/snap-pause
