Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes

KALAMAZOO LOAVES & FISHES WILL FEED HUNGRY PEOPLE AND ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY IN THE FIGHT TO END HUNGER.

GROCERY PANTRY PROGRAM (GPP): FOR 40 YEARS, KLF HAS BEEN LARGEST PROVIDER OF CHARITABLE FOOD ASSISTANCE IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY. THE GROCERY PANTRY PROGRAM (GPP) IS KLF'S LARGEST AND LONGEST-RUNNING HUNGER-RELIEF PROGRAM. THROUGH A NETWORK OF 10 PANTRIES AND COUNTY-WIDE HOME DELIVERY, KLF OFFERS SAME-DAY GROCERY ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. INDIVIDUALS CAN ACCESS OUR PANTRIES TWICE PER MONTH. 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. ALL FOOD ORDERS CONTAIN A BALANCED SELECTION OF PROTEIN, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, AND GRAINS, BOTH FRESH AND NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS, AND ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS' WORTH OF FOOD. IF A CLIENT CANNOT PHYSICALLY VISIT A PANTRY DUE TO HEALTH CONDITIONS OR TRANSPORTATION, A SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CAN TAKE A PRE-PACKED FOOD ORDER TO THEM DURING A HOME VISIT OR THEY CAN REQUEST A FREE HOME DELIVERY. KLF OFFERS UP TO 70 HOME DELIVERIES EVERY DAY. DURING THE 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR, THE GPP PROVIDED 104,989 FOOD ORDERS TO OVER 35,000 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY. ADDITIONALLY, KLF OPERATES 11 SCHOOL-BASED PANTRIES THAT OFFER SNACKS, SINGLE FOOD ITEMS, EMERGENCY PACKS, AND FULL ORDERS TO KIDS AND FAMILIES IN NEED. WHILE KLF STILL HAS STRONG PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS FROM THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY, IT IS NOT A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION AND SERVES ALL INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF THEIR BELIEF SYSTEM.

AGENCY MEAL SUPPORT PROGRAM: KLF SUPPLIES FOOD TO LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE HOT, READY-TO-EAT MEALS AND/OR PROVIDE PANTRY SERVICE TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. DURING THE 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR, FOOD WAS DISTRIBUTED TO 20 DIFFERENT AGENCIES WHO PREPARE CONGREGATE MEALS OR OFFER PANTRY SERVICE.

MOBILE FOOD INITIATIVE (MFI): EACH MONTH, THE MOBILE FOOD INITIATIVE (MFI) PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD THROUGH MASS DISTRIBUTION AT NINE REGULARLY SCHEDULED SITES. SITE ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT KALAMAZOO COUNTY. EACH MFI DISTRIBUTION OFFERS 6-8 ITEMS OF FOOD TO RECIPIENTS, INCLUDING MEAT, DAIRY, EGGS, GRAINS, AND PRODUCE. RECIPIENTS DO NOT NEED AN APPOINTMENT TO ATTEND AN MFI; DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD IS ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS. KLF ALSO CONDUCTS ADDITIONAL ONE-TIME MFI DISTRIBUTIONS DURING CRITICAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. DURING THE 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR, 149 MFIS WERE HELD AND SERVED 8,668 RECIPIENTS.

ALL OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS: WEEKEND FOOD PACK PROGRAM - WITH OVER 45% OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY STUDENTS RELIANT ON FEDERAL FREE OR REDUCED SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS FOR NUTRITION, THE WEEKENDS ARE ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT 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 MEALS WORTH OF FOOD AND ARE GIVEN OUT ON FRIDAY AFTERNOONS TO CHILDREN WHO ARE IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING FOOD ASSISTANCE. DURING A TYPICAL SCHOOL YEAR, KLF ASSEMBLES AND DISTRIBUTES AN AVERAGE OF 650 FOOD PACKS EACH WEEK TO 13 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 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR, 17,411 PACKS WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND FOOD PACK PROGRAM. 4)COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM - THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM (CSFP) IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LOW-INCOME SENIOR CITIZENS. ONCE PER MONTH, RECIPIENTS RECEIVE A FOOD PACK CONTAINING BASIC COMMODITIES. KLF DISTRIBUTES THE FOOD DIRECTLY TO 17 SUBSIDIZED HOUSING COMPLEXES AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY. DURING THE 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR, UP TO 600 SENIOR CITIZENS RECEIVED FOOD THROUGH CSFP EACH MONTH. THIS PROGRAM IS OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. 6)TARGETED OUTREACH - KLF PROVIDES TARGETED SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS FOOD ASSISTANCE IN ANY OTHER WAY. THIS INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS OR IN TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. DURING THE 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR, KLF PROVIDED UP TO 500 OUTREACH PACKS OF FOOD PER WEEK TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 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 2021-2022 FISCAL YEAR, KLF PROVIDED 10 IN-DEPTH PRESENTATIONS AND OVER 150 TOURS OF KLF FACILITIES TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND GROUPS. 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. DUE TO COVID-19, KALAMAZOO LOAVES & FISHES HAD TO MAKE A MULTITUDE OF OPERATIONAL ADJUSTMENTS AND REMAIN FLEXIBLE IN ITS SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL. THIS INCLUDES PERMANENT CLOSURE OF SOME PANTRY LOCATIONS, LESS VOLUNTEER SUPPORT, FEWER COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVES, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM. KALAMAZOO LOAVES & FISHES REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING FOOD ASSISTANCE TO OUR COMMUNITY WHILE ADHERING TO PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES.