Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Michigan's State Budget Office on Thursday announced that $4.5 million will be transferred to the Food Bank Council of Michigan from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services budget. The funds will help food banks in all 83 Michigan counties continue providing assistance to individuals and families who rely on SNAP benefits.

“Families shouldn’t have to worry about how they’ll put food on the table because of political gridlock in Congress,” Bollin said. “I appreciate that the state is using resources we put in place through a responsible, bipartisan budget to help fill the gap and keep people fed.”

Bollin emphasized that while federal leaders remain at an impasse, Michigan’s state government has shown how bipartisan cooperation can protect residents from unnecessary hardship.

“Just a few weeks ago, both Lansing and Washington were staring down the possibility of a shutdown,” Bollin said.

“Here in Michigan, Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass a continuing budget plan that kept critical services running and ensured stability for our communities. Congress should take a page from our playbook - put people before politics and get the federal government back on track.”

The state’s bipartisan budget also includes several initiatives that will help support Michiganders, including money for the Double Up Food Bucks program, which matches SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables to help families stretch their grocery budgets. The state budget also funds the statewide 2-1-1 program, which connects people to local resources such as food banks, housing assistance, and other critical services.

“Hungry families cannot wait for the folks in power in Washington, DC to do their jobs,” said Governor Whitmer. “Today, in light of the USDA’s decision to freeze SNAP, the State of Michigan is taking action to support the Food Bank Council of Michigan so they can continue feeding families in all 83 counties and deliver food to those who are unable to drive. We take care of each other in Michigan, and we will continue bringing together public and private philanthropic resources to feed people as we hit day 30 of the federal government shutdown and approach the November 1 pause of SNAP. We will continue to do what we can in Michigan to help impacted families.”

“Republicans and Democrats in Michigan were able to come together and work across the aisle to keep the state government open and pass a budget that moves to Michigan forward,” said Speaker of the House Matt Hall (R-Richland Township). “Because we did the right thing and kept state government on the job, we are now able to step up with this critical support for our local food banks, ensuring they have the resources they need to protect our communities and keep Michigan families strong. But this will never be a long-term solution and state government can only make up so much of the federal government’s spending. Congress must follow our lead and keep more Michigan families from being hurt by this shutdown.”

Earlier this week, the Fair Food Network announced additional flexibility in the Double Up Food Bucks program for families affected by the SNAP interruption, including removing expiration dates on unused benefits and expanding eligible purchases to include frozen fruits and vegetables.

People affected by the federal SNAP delay can call 2-1-1 to be connected with local food and community resources or visit the Food Bank Council of Michigan website (linked below) to locate nearby food banks and learn about additional hunger relief efforts.

In FY 2024, the average SNAP household in Michigan received $335.03 in SNAP benefits per month, which is about $173 per person per month or $5.68 per person, per day. Households with very low incomes receive more SNAP benefits than households closer to the poverty line because they need more help affording nutritious food.

• 492,225 children benefit from SNAP. 
• 38,513 veterans participating in SNAP.  
• 36% SNAP households have older adults.  
• 43% SNAP households have children.  
• 51% households have a person with a disability.   
• 78% of SNAP households include someone with earned income.  
 
In Michigan, more than 9,700 retailers accept SNAP. In 2023, retailers redeemed over $3.6 billion in SNAP.