Some 100,000 families in 40 West Michigan counties rely on food from the Food Bank.
But these aren’t just numbers. They’re real people – people you probably know. They wait your tables, run cash registers, teach your children (or go to school with them) and protect properties all around us.
But they don’t want you to know that they’re hungry—or that they have to choose monthly between rent, utilities, medicine and food.
Hunger makes people ashamed. It also makes them sick, tired, discouraged and less productive. And that hurts us all.
In fact, the economic losses caused by hunger (including avoidable illness, educational setbacks, absenteeism and reduced productivity) cost Michigan’s economy $5.51 billion* in 2010. (That figure does not include food stamps or other government nutrition programs.)
