In addition to bowl-making projects – where children could show off their bowls to parents and friends – United Healthcare also helped provide a simple meal for all that attended.

Thank you, United Healthcare, for helping Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes highlight childhood hunger in our community.

Dozens of community members volunteered on Saturday, May 11, to help unload bags of food donations from mail trucks.  Our goal was to collect 95,000 lbs. of food within Kalamazoo County (final totals are still being tabulated*). Those donations will now circulate through the various food assistance programs available in Kalamazoo County, including KLF’s Grocery Pantry Program.

Thank you to all who supported this food drive through giving or planning, including the United Way of Greater Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, and local Letter Carrier Branch 246.

If you weren’t able to donate on May 11 but still want to help out, you can give a monetary donation online at www.kzoolf.org, or drop food items off at 901 Portage Street, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Food items we’re most in need of year-round include high protein items like peanut butter and canned meat, as well as low-sodium canned vegetables.

*Please check back in the coming days for final totals

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes is hosting a community screening of the film on Sunday, June 2 at 7 pm at the Goodrich Kalamazoo 10 theater, 820 Maple Hill Dr. The film will be followed by a brief discussion facilitated by KLF staff and board members about local food insecurity and what actions you can take to make a difference. Tickets are $10 each and can only be purchased online so reserve yours today through TUGG – a secure social crowdsourcing site. Buy your tickets now.

Hunger in the US is a solvable problem and this film points toward the steps we can take to get there. A Place at the Table explains how the food system has, over time, broken down so that now half of the country’s children will be on food stamps at some point in their childhood.

For more information, visit A Place at the Table‘s website to watch the film trailer and order the companion book. You can also stream the film at home through iTunes if you aren’t able to join us on June 2. If you have any questions about the event or how to purchase your ticket, please contact Jennifer Johnson at jennifer@kzoolf.org or 488-2617 ext. 213.

KLF will benefit from donation cards purchased at the S. Westnedge and W. Main stores from now until May 18. Every $10 donation equates to 30 meals for a person in need. Pick up your redeemable Food Pantry Donation Card at KLF at 901 Portage St., weekdays between 8 am and 4 pm.

To change your gift receipt options today, simply contact Jon Riccio at jon@kzoolf.org or 488-2617 ext. 206 and he’ll take care of it for you. If you’re making a first-time donation, simply check the ‘Go Green’ box in our online donation center.

It’s only because of the generosity of this community that we were able to make this facility a reality. Thank you to all who supported our move to this new home and who continue to support us today. Watch this video from our Donor Plaque Unveiling and hear how we’ll continue to engage with the community in this fight against hunger. If you haven’t had a chance to visit our new building yet, we’d love to see you. Call us at 488-2617 to set up your personal visit.

1. Call our “Need Food” line at (269) 343-3663 on weekdays, as close to 9 am as possible.  Due to demand, our pantry capacity fills up quickly.
2. One of our call-center volunteers or staff members will answer your call and ask you some basic information including date of birth and address.
3. We will schedule an appointment for you the same day you call at one of our 26 grocery pantry sites throughout the County.
4. When you arrive for your appointment, you will be asked to show identification, which can include a drivers license, library card, piece of mail, etc.
5. You will receive four days worth of food for everyone in your household.

If you aren’t able to access this program, or are in need of more food, consider using our Mobile Food Initiative. Here’s how:

1. Read our Mobile Food Initiative flier for dates, times and locations of food distributions here:
   MOBILE FOOD INITIATIVE FLIER.
2. Select the site you want to visit. You do not need to call ahead or make an appointment. You can visit as many sites as you need.
3. Bring your own bags or boxes to transport your food. Items are available on a first-come first-served basis, so arrive as early as you can.