ZEELAND, Mich. (WOOD) — With the WOOD TV8 Football Frenzy Tailgate Food Drive in Zeeland, local students helped put together this report on Harvest Stand Ministries, the pantry that will benefit this week.
Zeeland students donated 861 pounds of food.
Zeeland West High School seniors Maya Bingle, Saige Canfield and Nishia Kesol are taking the TV production class for the first time. They spent time at Harvest Stand to see how the pantry works and talked to executive director Jordan Palladino.
Palladino told the students that with all of the financial problems people are struggling with, the pantry has seen a 104% increase in clients served over the last three years.
“This is an amazing ministry filled with amazing people,” Palladino said. “We have a wonderful staff and volunteer teams. And one of our biggest donators on a yearly basis is our local Zeeland schools, so I’m so grateful to Zeeland East and Zeeland West and WOOD TV8 for putting on this food drive to make sure we continue to have food at Harvest Stand.”
Pattijean McCahill with Feeding America West Michigan told News 8 that the Zeeland students’ work allowed them to “see the local impact and how people in their community are experiencing food insecurity.”
She said the surge in need recorded by Harvest Stand has been echoed elsewhere.
“We have a 40-county service area. So, in both 2023 and 2024, each year, we’ve seen a 30% increase in attendance at our mobile food pantries as well as attendance at our fixed pantries,” McCahill said.
Harvest Stand opened in 1997. Every pound of food donated is worth $2.36 and will go to feed families in Zeeland.