What started right here in Michigan’s Great Southwest as the Christmas in June food drive, has evolved into a statewide effort to refill food pantries in the critical summer season when the need is typically more critical. United Way of Southwest Michigan’s signature summertime collection event is now the brainchild for the “reconceptualized” Summer Stock Up event now underway.
With Kellogg Company and its charitable fund as a primary driver, United Ways all across Michigan are participating in a first-ever statewide event to collect food in their areas, for their areas throughout the month of June.
Every year, food pantries across Southwest Michigan are fully stocked in the winter months thanks to generous holiday donations—but when summer comes, donations drop considerably and pantry shelves become sparse. This can leave low-income, hard-working families with limited options during this time of year.
As part of the campaign, United Way of Southwest Michigan is asking local businesses and community members to participate in the “Summer Stock Up” event to restock local food pantries with items to get them through the warmer months.
You can either drop off items at one of the designated locations—OR they’ll do the shopping for you. Just pick how much you want to spend, and they’ll make sure each pantry gets exactly what they need.
By doing one or the other, you can join United Way in bringing some cheer to local pantries this June.
You can“Shop your impact” online from June 1-30 at this link: http://uwsm.org/summer-stock-up
If you prefer to shop on your own, these are the designated drop-off locations and dates/times:
Simply buy items and drop them off at one of these three locations on June 24th from 8 am – 6 pm:
- Freshwater Community Church – Common Area, at 600 E. Michigan Ave., Paw Paw, MI 49079
- First Church of God – Life Center at 2627 Niles Ave., St. Joseph, MI 49085
- Berrien County Youth Fair – Youth Memorial Building at 9122 US HWY 31, Berrien Springs, MI 49103
You can also shop at one of these locations and drop your items in the bin at the front of the store—throughout the entire month of June:
- Harding’s Friendly Market at 14 W. Monroe St., Bangor, MI 49013
- Dollar General at 33933 M-140, Covert, MI 49043
- Village Market at 108 E. Delaware St., Decatur, MI 49045
- Village Market at 407 S. State St., Gobles, MI 49055
- Harding’s Friendly Market at 10 N. Center St., Hartford, MI 49057
- Family Fare at 847 S. Kalamazoo St., Paw Paw, MI 49079
- Martin’s Super Market at 5637 Cleveland Ave., Stevensville, MI 49127
As noted, the statewide Summer Stock Up event evolved out of the popular “Christmas in June” local food drive that was conducted annually by United Way of Southwest Michigan. In 2020, because of the pandemic, they pivoted from an in-person food drop-off event to a virtual event that provided safe shopping options that allowed donors to “shop their impact” by giving online.
The success of “Christmas in June” caught the attention of the Kellogg Company, and the corporation stepped in to help reconceptualize it as a statewide “Summer Stock Up.” As the premiere sponsor, Kellogg and its charitable fund has been a leader in rallying 24 United Ways in Michigan to the cause. Additional support has been provided by American Electric Power Foundation and Dash Digital Services. In-person and virtual versions of the event will be available depending on the needs and situations of each United Way.
Addressing food insecurity is critical in Michigan inasmuch as 38-percent of Michigan households work but struggle to make ends meet.
Those households—whose incomes are above the Federal Poverty Level but below the basic cost of living—are referred to as ALICE, which stands for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.”
Over the last decade, behind the veneer of a strong economy, conditions have actually worsened for thousands of families across Michigan—setting the stage for the dual health and economic crises of the COVID-19 pandemic. Why?
- The cost of living has been increasing for ALICE households.
- The economy is increasingly dominated by jobs with low wages and less security.
- The number of ALICE households in Michigan increased in response to the Great Recession and never fully recovered.
Much of United Way’s impact work is designed to help ALICE. Michigan United Ways report annually on ALICE data and analysis.
United Way of Southwest Michigan fights for the Health, Education, and Financial Stability of every person in every community. They have the influence and relationships to make sustainable change a reality. By harnessing resources from corporate, nonprofit, and public partners, they provide immediate assistance to the most vulnerable populations among us, while addressing the root causes of the community’s longstanding challenges and changing lives for the better. To join the fight—through giving, advocacy, and volunteering—visit http://www.uwsm.org.
