Grand Traverse County food pantry serves 47,000 amid rising costs

47,000 people turned to the Father Fred Foundation’s food pantry last year in Grand Traverse County, a number that lands like a warning light in a county of 96,625 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s July 1, 2024 estimate. The count shows how quickly the cost of living has outpaced what many local households can absorb, even in a county that is better known for tourism and growth than for empty cupboards.

The pantry’s demand reflects a wider squeeze on working families across northwest Michigan. United For ALICE, which stands for asset limited, income constrained and employed, describes households that earn more than the federal poverty level but still fall short of the basic cost of living in their county. The Michigan Association of United Ways says nearly 40 percent of households in northwest Michigan fall below that line, and statewide the share of ALICE households has been at the highest level in the history of its study over the last two years.

Amil Strang said the pressure shows up in everyday bills, especially groceries, fuel and electricity. Strang has worked in dairy farming, retail and bartending over the years, but those wages have not been enough to make basic expenses feel manageable as prices have climbed. That is the part of the story that often gets missed in countywide statistics: many people who are working, or were working until recently, are still one car repair or power bill away from crisis.

Father Fred Foundation director of guest services said the people coming through the doors now increasingly arrive after job loss, illness, injury or a gap in work that leaves them unable to stay current. Father Fred says it has been helping individuals and families since 1989 and serves Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau counties. Its services include fresh, healthy food, clothing, household goods and financial assistance, with help that can extend to heat bills, security deposits, safe tires and car repairs so people can get to work.

Father Fred’s 2024 annual report says the organization kept providing food, personal care items and other essentials despite soaring food costs. The need is being met with community support, too: last year’s Frostbite Food Drive brought in about $75,000 worth of food and $20,000 in cash. In Grand Traverse County, the pantry has become less a stopgap than part of the region’s informal safety net, bridging the gap between paychecks, emergencies and the rising cost of staying housed, fed and on the road.