When life is uncertain, basic necessities are the most treasured.
Unfortunately, when it comes to COVID-19, necessities of life have been the first things threatened.
New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Muskegon Heights quickly realized that they would need to be a resource for the community throughout the pandemic.
A safe haven for those struggling.
When it came to food insecurity, luckily the church was already equipped with a distribution plan.
For over two years, New Jerusalem had been a food distribution site through a partnership with Muskegon Heights Public Schools.
However, as the program was geared towards serving youth and students, the church found itself in a situation where it did not have resources available for the general public who were seeking help with food assistance.
With an identified need, Kids’ Food Basket stepped in to fill the gap.
“When schools in Muskegon Heights were still closed, Kids’ Food Basket reached out to us knowing we distributed food as they were looking for ways to reach more students and families in the area,” said Reverend Andre Williams of New Jerusalem Baptist Church.
On an April spring day, Kids’ Food Basket delivered 350 Family Boxes to the church.
Each box contained over 40 pounds of healthy food, which included shelf-stable items and fresh vegetables and produce.
“On the day we distributed them, every single box was given away,” Reverend Williams said.
In addition to students, this distribution saw senior citizens, families with young children and many other community members.
“The pandemic has brought a lot of people, my Muskegon Heights neighbors, to a place of desperate need,” said Reverend Williams.
“There was so much uncertainty, people didn’t know how to plan, the next week let alone what the next month would be, he continued. “Food necessities skyrocketed – people needed the bare necessities.”
Muskegon Heights is a food desert.
Access to healthy food is limited, even more so during a time when nourishing food is critical.
“We cannot purchase a cucumber in our city limits. To have community partners such as Kids’ Food Basket help in that, it is life or death – it is life-changing,” Reverend Williams said.
It is community partnerships and the act of coming together to survive together that allowed churches such as New Jerusalem to be the place of refuge that its community so desperately needed.
“This pandemic has taught us if nothing else that we need each other. That we are better together, and our resources expand farther and last longer when we work together,” Reverend Williams said.
He added, “It was a huge benefit to receive those boxes. To have our community partners come together is essential. For something so vital as food, it is monumental.”
