Left: Volunteers load groceries into a car. (Photo courtesy of Greater Lansing Food Bank.) Right: University Lutheran Church on Harrison Road. (Gary Caldwell for ELi.)

Greater Lansing Food Bank Mobile Distribution Coming to East Lansing Thursday

On Thursday, Oct. 22, the Greater Lansing Food Bank (GLFB) will be hosting a drive-thru mobile food distribution at the University Lutheran Church. The event will serve East Lansing, Okemos, and Haslett residents.

The GLFB meal distributions have occurred for a while, but they have become more frequent following the economic difficulties resulting from the pandemic. Each month, the mobile distribution is held in a different place in the Greater Lansing area.

At these events, workers distribute items, such as frozen food, non-perishables, fresh produce, and dairy products. Occasionally, they will also have personal hygiene items like deodorant, toothpaste, and feminine care products.

The majority of items come from donations, which can be made through the Greater Lansing Food Bank website. Donors can make in-kind or monetary donations. Monetary donations are then used to purchase products in bulk from GLFB partners.

For this Thursday’s event, registration will start at 3:30 p.m., meaning that people can begin to line up outside the church in their vehicles then. Beginning at 4:30, GLFB workers and volunteers fill up residents’ trunks with food as they drive through the line. Distribution runs until 5:30 p.m. or until the food is completely distributed.

Due to health concerns regarding Covid-19, those coming to pick up food are not allowed to get out of their cars. Additionally, the GLFB urges those with Covid-19 symptoms to stay home and arrange for someone else to pick up their food for them.

The mobile distribution is open to all East Lansing, Haslett, and Okemos residents, along with anyone in financial hardship, senior citizens with fixed incomes, and families or individuals who have recently lost their jobs.

Although this service is aimed toward helping Ingham County residents, GLFB will not turn residents from other areas away.

To find out more about the Greater Lansing Food Bank’s mobile distribution on Oct. 22, call (517) 908-3680 or visit the Facebook event page.

Those interested in making a donation to the GLFB can find out more here.

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