A Guest Writer Entry from Jessica Spenner

Throughout the month of January, I had the honor of documenting Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, an organization that provides emergency food to people in Kalamazoo County. They do this in several different ways including stocking twenty-six different food pantries, handing out free food, providing food for elders and mothers that do not receive WIC benefits and providing food packs to local children to help them get through the weekend.

Often times, people make the assumption that organizations like KLF are enabling homelessness, and not solving the problem. However, through the month I realized that KLF is simply helping them take the first step. If you do not have food, your body begins to shut down. How can we expect a homeless person to get on their feet, find a job and provide for their family if they are literally starving and their mind cannot function properly?  

This is where Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes comes in. Not only do they provide food in so many different ways, but every program they create to provide food meets the USDA guidelines for nutrition. By providing healthy food for those in need, KLF is helping people get back on their feet. If you’d like to learn more, visit the KLF website at www.kzoolf.org or read about them on my blog at www.bethechangemakethedifference.blogspot.com