Valley Food Share

Valley Food Share began in March 2019 as an initiative designed to meet the immediate food needs of Kalamazoo Valley students. Studies show that approximately 25 percent of community college students struggle with food insecurity; translating that to our community suggests that 2,000+ students are sometimes going hungry. These issues can deeply impact a student's educational efforts and outcomes. For some students, food insecurity can lead to choosing between buying groceries and paying for classes. Valley Food Share was created by a committee of 10 faculty and staff members who recognized the often visible need for food assistance.

Thanks to an $8,000 award of mini-grant funds from the college, Valley Food Share was initiated. Grants from the Okun Foundation awarded in 2019, 2021 and 2022 have allowed the program to continue. Funds are used to purchase food to create "shares." Each share contains fresh fruits and vegetables (grown or sourced through the ValleyHUB at the college's Food Innovation Center), canned and boxed goods (purchased from Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes) and other food products.

To reflect the college’s belief in the transformative power of food education to improve the health and well-being of our community, recipe cards, based on the food in the share, are included.

Students receive a weekly email (on Thursdays) that includes a link to sign up and instructions for pick up. Please note, students who register, do not pick up their share and fail to notify us three times, will be blocked from registering for the Valley Food Share until they meet with Nkenge Bergan, associate vice president for Student Development Services, to discuss their situation. For the health and safety of the community, Valley Food Share now operates as a drive-thru service alternating between the Food Innovation Center and the Texas Township Campus every Thursday from 2-4 p.m. College faculty and staff volunteers assemble and distribute the shares each week.

For more information, email , call 269.488.4620, or check out our Valley Food Share video.