A Meal on Mike

We've historically provided food assistance to families in crisis mode. However, we're now acknowledging a recurring pattern that highlights opportunities for us to make a more significant impact. We've identified several challenges that prevent families from accessing food support:

- Transportation limitations: Some families lack reliable transportation or the means to fuel their vehicles to reach food shelves.

- Mobility issues: Individuals with decreased mobility or those who struggle with waiting in lines face significant barriers.

- Pride and isolation: Some families hesitate to visit food shelves due to pride or isolate from a mental health symptom at home, exacerbating their food insecurity.

- Dietary restrictions: Families with specific dietary needs, such as those with diabetes, often face additional expenses for specialized food items.

- Insufficient state assistance: Some families don't receive adequate support, further complicating their food security.

To address these gaps, we're expanding our "A Meal on Mike" initiative from a once-a-year effort to year-round assistance. Initially we would like to provide meal kits containing everything a family needs to prepare one to two nutritious meals a week. The program's scope will be determined by the number of participating families and the level of financial and food assistance we receive.