Become an Agency
We’re guessing you already know who we are and what we do. If not, or if you would like a quick refresher, you can find that information on our main website. While you’re there, you should also consider whether you’d like to host mobile pantry distributions.
Ready to get into all the administrative details? Here we go!
Who we serve:
501(c)(3) nonprofits and religious organizations located in the counties listed by warehouse in the table below. We will require you to prove your organizational status as part of the application process. The application’s cover page lists the four types of proof we accept.
| Comstock Park | Benton Harbor | Cadillac | Ishpeming | Sault Ste. Marie |
| Allegan | Berrien | Benzie | Alger | Chippewa |
| Ionia | Cass | Grand Traverse | Delta | Luce |
| Kent | Van Buren | Kalkaska | Dickinson | Mackinac |
| Mecosta | Lake | Marquette | ||
| Montcalm | Leelanau | Menominee | ||
| Muskegon | Manistee | Schoolcraft | ||
| Newaygo | Mason | |||
| Oceana | Missaukee | |||
| Ottawa | Osceola | |||
| Wexford |
If you are in Antrim, Charlevoix, or Emmet Counties, contact The Manna Food Project; if you are in Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, or Ontonagon Counties, contact the Western Upper Peninsula Food Bank (see our ”Warehouses and Staff” page for details). If you are outside of our entire service area, you can find your regional food bank by using our national network’s food bank locator page.
What you get:
Access to the warehouse location from the table above to pick up pre-ordered inventory of donated food and household products in exchange for paying a handling fee of 6 to 16 cents per pound – that helps us keep the lights on, the trucks running, and all those donations nicely sorted, labeled, repacked, or whatever it is they come in needing. You can view our price breakdown and some of our main warehouse’s delivery options here. Services may vary by location.
What we require:
By submitting your agency application, you commit to meeting our operational guidelines, which consist of:
Maintaining a food storage area that passes FAWM inspection [except agencies running only mobile pantry distributions]. Here are some basic inspection tips, and here is a sample temperature log for use with freezers and refrigerators.
Keeping mandatory records of service – see our sample form here.
Paying your handling fees promptly after receipt of your monthly statement, using a checkbook in the organization’s name.
Distributing food to the needy at no charge. You must be accessible to clients from the community – you may not provide member only service.
[On-site feeding programs only] Maintaining a food service license from your county‘s health department in order to serve FAWM food.
When you have completed the application form – available here if you prefer to fill it out by hand and here if you prefer to fill it out electronically – you may return it to either Nancy Ullrey or Jude Smith, electronically at the links provided, or by following the mailing instructions listed in the application.
After you have returned the application form, an agency relations staff member will contact you to schedule an appointment for an initial inspection of your facility and/or to give you your agency number so you can schedule your first mobile pantry distribution.
You can review our policies and procedures by going to our “Documents & Forms” page. Agency relations staff members’ areas of expertise are listed on our “Staff Directory” page so that you can contact the appropriate staff member for any questions you may have. To schedule a tour of our main warehouse, call 616-784-3250 (for other locations, check our ”Warehouses and Staff” page).