Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes

Programs: Grocery pantry program (gpp): for 35 years, klf has been largest provider of charitable food assistance in kalamazoo county. The grocery pantry program is klf's largest and longest-running hunger-relief program. Through a network of 24 pantries located within community centers, churches, and schools, klf offers same- day grocery assistance to kalamazoo county residents. Individuals are able to self-declare need once per month; more frequently with a caseworker referral. Each pantry is stocked from the klf warehouse with the variety and quantity of food necessary to support their service commitments. Pantry partners order food from the klf warehouse through an online inventory system, and the food is delivered directly to the distribution site. Clients are assigned to a pantry site via our call center and may select food based on their household size. Clients choose the contents of the food order from the nutritional categories of protein, fruits and vegetables, and grains. In addition to non-perishable items, families also have access to meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, bread, and milk. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the gpp provided 162,758 food orders to nearly 30,000 individuals in kalamazoo county. While klf still has strong partners and supporters from the faith-based community, it is a secular organization that serves all individuals in the community regardless of their belief system.

weekend food pack program: children who rely on federal free or reduced school meal programs for nutrition are especially vulnerable on the weekends when those meals are not available. The goal of the weekend food pack program is to help these children bridge the gap between friday afternoon and monday morning. Weekend food packs contain approximately 2. 5 meals worth of food and are given out on friday afternoons to children who are identified as needing food assistance. Klf assembles and distributes 800 food packs each week to 17 elementary and middle schools in kalamazoo, comstock, and parchment public schools. Packs are distributed for 32 weeks during the school year and 6 weeks during summer school. The program operates in partnership with communities in schools and school personnel to identify children most in need at each building. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year, 25,109 packs were distributed through the program.

mobile food initiative (mfi): each month, the mobile food initiative program provides supplemental food through mass distribution at 5 community sites throughout kalamazoo county. Each mfi distribution offers 5-7 items of food to recipients. Food distributed through the mfi program is often perishable and may include bulk produce and dairy products. Recipients do not need an appointment to attend an mfi; distribution of food is on a first come, first served basis. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year, 373,031 pounds of food were distributed through the mfi program to 25,031 recipients.

all other accomplishments: commodity supplemental food program (csfp): the commodity supplemental food program is a federally-funded program designed to support low-income senior citizens. Recipients must be 60 years or older and have income at or below 130% of the poverty income guidelines. Once per month, recipients receive a food pack containing basic commodities. Klf distributes the food directly to 16 subsidized housing complexes in kalamazoo county. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year, 579 senior citizens received food through csfp and 206,711 pounds were distributed. This program is offered in partnership with the michigan department of education. Agency meal support program: klf supplies food to local social service agencies that provide hot, ready-to-eat meals to vulnerable populations in the community, including individuals who are homeless or in transitional housing. While klf's contribution does not fulfill all of the grocery needs of these agencies, it does play a role in sustaining their programs and feeding target populations. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year, 186,539 pounds of food were distributed to partner agencies in kalamazoo county. In addition to food distribution and direct service to clients, klf is active in hunger-relief advocacy and education. This includes presentations on not only klf programs, but also the issue of food insecurity on a national and local level. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year, klf provided 10 in-depth presentations and over 70 tours of klf facilities to community members and groups. In addition, klf was involved in advocacy letter- writing campaigns to political representatives to raise awareness of critical legislation affecting food security. Klf serves as the backbone organization of the kalamazoo county hunger-free community coalition. The coalition consists of key stakeholders in the community, such as the public schools and the community health department. The goal of the coalition is to identify gaps, forge collaborations and, ultimately, strengthen food security in kalamazoo county. During 2016- 2017, the coalition focused on increasing food assistance to senior citizens, mapping gaps in service delivery, and alleviating childhood hunger during the summer.