DETROIT – Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 5, Detroit will open an Emergency Food Network offering hot meals and groceries to SNAP recipients.
The program is designed to help seniors, veterans, disabled residents, and families who rely on SNAP, while November benefits are delayed on Bridge cards.
Mayor Mike Duggan and city staff unveiled a growing list of distribution sites, mapped on the city’s website, where residents enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can pick up emergency food until their Bridge cards are restored.
“When I asked for volunteers yesterday, 860 Detroit residents had already signed up to help distribute food to their neighbors,” Duggan said in a social media announcement.
The network currently lists 85 sites across Detroit.
Some locations will be open only one day a week, while others will operate five or six days.
The full map and schedule are available on the city of Detroit website. Recipients can click the site nearest them for details.
Last week, a federal court ordered the Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use contingency funds to continue SNAP.
However, some city and state leaders warned that it could still take several days for November benefits to appear on Bridge cards.
Officials also said the amounts posted to some cards may not reflect the full, usual benefit.
Demand for food help is surging statewide. Michigan 211 reports a roughly 200% increase in food-related requests.
“Last week alone, we heard from nearly 9,000 folks across the state that are just reaching out for help,” said Jennie Pollak, Executive Director of Michigan 211.
Duggan is encouraging SNAP participants to check the city website before traveling to a site and to be patient as officials prioritize distribution.
“If you were supposed to get your benefits on your card this week, come on to our website and we’ll support you. If your benefits didn’t come due till next week, the week after, please wait, because a quarter of all recipients get their benefits each week,” Duggan said.
How to get help:
- Visit the Emergency Food Network map and site list at https://detroitmi.gov/ to find the closest distribution location and schedule.
- Check the site details to confirm days and hours before you go.
- Be prepared for the possibility that SNAP funds may be posted only after a delay and that amounts may be temporarily reduced.
For updates and additional resources, check at https://detroitmi.gov and https://mi211.org/.