Family Fare to donate $10,000 to homeless shelters after woman found living inside sign
After a woman was found living inside a Family Fare sign in Midland, the grocery store committed to donating $10,000 to a local organization providing shelter and meals to people experiencing homelessness.
The nonprofit Midland's Open Door in a Facebook post last week thanked Family Fare for the contribution toward its crisis shelters and soup kitchen. In late April, the Midland Police Department found a 34-year-old woman residing inside a Family Fare sign, where she had set up her belongings. She told officers she had been living there for about a year. Midland's Open Door said Family Fare reached out to the organization last week about the contribution.
The unidentified woman was offered homeless service resources, which she refused, according to police. But the situation raised concerns about the availability of affordable housing for people dealing with housing insecurity.
More: Woman found living in Family Fare sign in Midland for almost a year
"With the rising cost of living here in Midland, many of our neighbors are facing hunger and homelessness for the very first time," Midland's Open Door said in its social media post.
SpartanNash, the company which operates Family Fare, in a statement last week said ensuring that there is enough affordable and safe housing continues to be a problem across the country. The company said it was proud of its associates for responding to the situation with compassion and professionalism and declined to comment further to respect the privacy of the individual involved.
Michigan saw an 8% increase in the number of people facing homelessness, up to 32,589 in 2022 from 30,113 the year before, according to the latest statewide report. Midland County is among the counties in a region the report found had a 26% increase in homelessness year over year.
Homelessness looks different in every community, said Joe Coffey, executive director of Midland-based Home To Stay Housing Assistance Center. It reflects the resources in a given community. Numbers fluctuate, but his organization has seen an increase. Home To Stay helped more than 600 people stay in their homes or find housing, completed 46 home repair projects, and made more than 2,000 referrals to other agencies. The nonprofit expects to meet this level of need or exceed it this year, he said.
Midland's Open Door is supported by individuals, churches, businesses, organizations, and foundations, said Executive Director Saralyn Temple. Last year, the organization served more than 48,000 meals and provided shelter for 284 men, women, and children who were facing homelessness.
"The generous gift from Family Fare will allow us to continue providing wrap-around care for the most vulnerable in our community, offering food, shelter, and case management for our shelter guests and preventive care for our soup kitchen community, connecting them to the agencies that offer assistance in our area," Temple said in an email on Monday.
The lack of affordable housing is one of the main reasons people fall into homelessness, housing experts say. Michigan faces an affordable housing crunch.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the state has a shortage of 188,895 rental homes that are affordable and available for people with extremely low incomes. In other words, there aren't enough rental homes for a family of four with an average income of $28,030. Twenty-seven percent of renter households fall within this category.
How to get help
Those who are facing homelessness or at risk of losing their home can call Michigan 211 to learn about local resources. Go to mi211.org for more information.
The state of Michigan's MI Bridges website, at newmibridges.michigan.gov, lists available benefits for those who are eligible, such as food assistance and state emergency relief.
Counties also have a designated Housing Assessment and Resource Agency, or HARA, to help people facing eviction or homelessness find help. The HARA for Midland County is Home To Stay Housing Assistance Center. Those in need of services can call 989-496-9550, email info@myhometostay.org or go online at www.myhometostay.org/contact-us.html.
Those in need of shelter can also call Midland's Open Door at 989-835-2291. The organization's soup kitchen is open to the public 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @NushratR.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Family Fare to donate $10K after woman found living in sign
