In this week’s Northern Express — sister publication of The Ticker — local food pantries and rescues share a look at the rising need for food in our community.

Many families rely on the school programs that provide free meals to school-aged kids every weekday during the school year, but what happens when school is out for the summer? Quite a few pantries notice an uptick in visits from families who need help keeping their growing children fed while at home on summer vacation.

“Food insecurity is higher than when I started 11 years ago,” says Taylor Moore, director of Food Rescue of Goodwill Northern Michigan. “We’re going in the wrong direction, and that’s surprising to me. And we’re doing more work than ever before, too. It just shows how food insecurity is such a structural issue in our society.” Read more here.

Pick up a free copy of this week’s Northern Express, available to read online or at one of nearly 650 spots in 13 counties across northern Michigan.

Photo courtesy of Food Rescue of Goodwill Northern Michigan