MARQUETTE — Four of the five counties with the highest need for food in Feeding America’s 40-county service area are located in the Upper Peninsula.

That’s thousands of people who don’t have enough to eat and don’t know where their next meal will come from. And the need continues to grow.

Marquette County alone has a 12.2% food insecurity rate.

As growing food insecurity affects Michigan communities, Feeding America West Michigan is opening a new headquarters and distribution center to meet significant needs across its 40-county service area.

The new facility in the Grand Rapids suburb of Kentwood will allow the nonprofit to distribute 37.5 million meals annually –a 37% increased capacity at a time when food assistance requests continue to grow.

“There’s time where I wouldn’t have gone without food if it weren’t for the food here,” shares Alice, a senior neighbor served by the food bank –one of the thousands of Michiganders who rely on food assistance to make ends meet.

So far this year, Feeding America West Michigan has seen a 14.8% increase in participation at its mobile food pantry distributions, a bump that follows a 27.6% increase in 2023 — many of those families requesting food assistance for the first time.

“Food insecurity isn’t just about hunger — it’s a complex issue involving system gaps, insufficient income and lack of access t nourishing choices,” said Kenneth R. Estelle, president and CEO of Feeding America West Michigan. “Many of our neighbors are just one job loss or medical crisis away from not having enough to eat. This new facility will allow us to address these challenges more comprehensively and empower our neighbors to make the right food decisions for themselves and their families.”

Feeding America West Michigan’s new state-of-the-art 120,600-square-foot facility represents a significant expansion in the nonprofit’s capacity to serve those facing food insecurity across 40 of Michigan’s 83 counties. the $19.6 million project will dramatically increase Feeding America West Michigan’s ability to distribute food to those in need and expand its current programming.

The new facility will enable the nonprofit to expand senior and youth programs, including Gather 2 Grow, in areas with limited food access, increase mobile food pantry services in isolated rural communities, enhance food reuse efforts to prevent food waste while feeding neighbors, and provide better support and training for partner agencies.

The $6.6 million facility purchase and $13 million in renovations were made possible thanks to thousands of community donations, a generous conbribution from Meijer, and the Kent County Board of Commissioners. The project is wholly funded and the food bank is debt-free.