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LUDINGTON — In an effort to address rising food insecurity and identify opportunities for collaboration, the Community Foundation for Mason County convened a meeting with local food access leaders in January. Nearly five months later, that meeting has evolved into partnerships that are helping bridge the gap between food supply and community need through new distribution relationships and the launch of a comprehensive Mason County Food Access Guide.
The coordination comes as food insecurity is being exacerbated by a challenging economic landscape. Surging fuel costs are placing additional pressure on lower-income households. The strain is compounded by significant reductions in federal SNAP funding. As federal support recedes, local food access resources are becoming an essential lifeline for community members navigating rising costs.
The Community Foundation, which supports organizations addressing food insecurity, has provided assistance to programs including Hand2Hand, Caritas Food Pantry, Mason County Senior Meals on Wheels and Lakeshore Food Club.
In 2024, the foundation awarded Lakeshore Food Club a grant for strategic consulting that helped lay the groundwork for the 2025 opening of the Lakeshore Regional Food Hub in Hart. The foundation also provided grants for infrastructure, including forklifts and industrial shelving, and a $25,000 grant in early 2026 for fresh food distribution. The hub now serves as a center for food aggregation, distribution and logistics across Mason, Oceana, Lake and Muskegon counties.
“These targeted investments in the Hub reflect one of our core values: to be impactful by stewarding resources strategically to create meaningful, lasting change,” Community Foundation Executive Director Andrea Large said. “It is incredibly exciting to see this kind of systems-level change moving the needle on food access while providing critical support to the dedicated organizations already serving our community.”
The Community Foundation’s January meeting was inspired by the Community Foundation for Oceana County, which convened a similar meeting and developed an Oceana County Food Access Guide last year.
During the Mason County meeting, representatives from organizations across the county shared information about their programs and discussed challenges they face. Lakeshore Food Club highlighted the food hub’s capacity as a Feeding America redistribution site, offering rescued retail food at no charge and using state funding for fresh produce.
“We are building a sustainable, efficient and equitable food system that strengthens local agriculture and ensures fresh, healthy food reaches those who need it most,” said O’Nealya Gronstal, executive director of Lakeshore Food Club.
Partnerships formed during the meeting have already led to changes. The Salvation Army and Cornerstone Baptist Church Food Pantry said the connection to the food hub helped address the high cost of meat. Tammy Miller of The Salvation Army said regular deliveries of meat and baked goods from the hub have “alleviated our budget, and we are able to use those funds to support other needs of our clients.”
Following the meeting, food access leaders completed a survey providing details about their operations. The information allowed the Community Foundation to develop a countywide food access guide. District Health Department No. 10 and West Michigan Community Mental Health joined the effort after recognizing they were independently gathering similar information.
“Our organization is invested in this work because we recognize the importance of addressing food insecurity and improving access to basic needs in our community,” said Lori Schummer, director of public relations and customer service at West Michigan Community Mental Health. “My hope is that the resource becomes a trusted, easy-to-access tool that helps more individuals and families quickly connect to available food supports.”
Gracie Kierczynski, public health educator for District Health Department No. 10, said the agency hopes the guide becomes “a trusted, central place where community members can find food access resources.”
The Mason County Food Access Guide includes pantry and food club locations, information about senior meal programs, youth backpack programs and mobile food trucks. It also lists volunteer opportunities, donation information and ways local farmers and hunters can share food and legally harvested game with residents in need.
The Community Foundation plans to continue meeting with food access leaders and update the guide annually. Community members may submit additions or corrections by emailing info@cffmc.org.
The guide is available at mason-foundation.org/mason-county-food-access/.
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