One of the questions that we receive most from people in Livingston County who learn about our food ministry is..."Are there really hungry people HERE?" Although we live in one of the most affluent counties in the state of Michigan, there many people in our community who are struggling. Poverty and even homelessness may be more hidden here, but they both very much exist. Hunger and food insecurity may not be talked about regularly here, but its still a major problem.
Food insecurity, by definition, is not having access to enough nutritious food in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Simply put, it means not having enough to eat. A food insecure individual may not always know where their next meal is coming from. According to the Hunger Council, 1 in 13 living people here in Livingston County is now experiencing food insecurity. Even more startling may be the fact that nearly 50% of those individuals do not qualify for government food assistance.
Food insecurity is not just limited to the most impoverished in our community and hunger is not always obvious or visible. It doesn't always present itself as a homeless person picking through a garbage can. It can be a parent skipping a meal so that their child will have more to eat. It can be a senior citizen choosing not to full their prescription medication in order to purchase groceries for the week. It can be Food insecurity can affect veterans who are battling disabilities, those who have recently become unemployed, and even working families who are simply feeling the pinch of inflation. Food insecurity does not discriminate. It affects all walks of life in our community, it affects our neighbors, and it affects innocent children (including thousands who attend school right here in Livingston County).
Martin Luther King once said “Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these’.... Let us march for poverty until no parent has to skip a meal so that their child can eat.”
We know that we live in a great nation and we know that we have a great community. We believe that hunger exists here in Livingston County, not because of a lack of concern or compassion, but because of a lack of education and awareness. Most people experiencing food insecurity don't walk around advertising it, and the rest of us doesn't realize its a problem because we don't hear about it.
Once hunger is exposed.... its not something that can easily be ignored. We have witnessed, throughout our years in ministry, that as soon as people learn the heartbreaking realities of food insecurity in our community, they are anxious to help. The best thing about living in such a affluent area, is that we have the means to really make a difference in the lives to those around us. We are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others!
All of our programs are aimed at getting food to the hungry and hurting. We are especially excited about our new building because it will provide help to those battling food insecurity, while providing an avenue for the rest of us to help make a difference. Our unique "pay-it forward" space will be a comfortable place for our entire community to gather, eat, and be blessed. There will be no way to distinguish who is there because they need to be blessed by a meal and who is there because they want to be a blessing.
You can take steps now to combat food insecurity now
Pray for our ministry and especially our new building, and help us build excitement for the Pay-it-Forward Cafe. We still need donors and many volunteers. Learn more
Learn the facts about food insecurity and start sharing them with others. The more people that know about the problem, the more people who will want to help. No one should have to go to bed hungry!
Volunteer with The Ivy Table or another local organization that is addressing the problem of food insecurity in our community...Gleaners, Meals on Wheels, Bountiful Harvest, Fishes & Loaves, ect.
Give generously from the abundance you've been blessed with. Become a monthly supporter or a one time donor to The Ivy Table or another worthy organization.