NMC Launches Thanksgiving Meal Drive Amid SNAP Benefit Reductions

Northwestern Michigan College opened its 12th annual Thanks for Giving project as students, staff and community members prepare for the holiday season. The college plans to gather monetary donations and specific nonperishable food items such as granola bars and peanut butter, and will place red collection bins at multiple campus locations. Donations will be accepted through November 18, and the program is intended to yield 175 complete Thanksgiving meals for families affiliated with NMC and for residents in the broader Grand Traverse County community.

The initiative arrives against a backdrop of changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that local advocates and service providers say have contributed to increased food insecurity. Those policy shifts have put new pressure on community based safety nets, and organizations across the county are responding with short term measures like meal drives and emergency distributions. NMCs effort will help a number of households at a critical time, but the scale of the college project underlines that institutional charity cannot substitute for durable policy solutions.

Thanks for Giving has operated on the NMC campus for more than a decade, evolving from a campus only effort to one that explicitly includes the wider community. The college has publicized collection points and an online donation option through its website, and it has coordinated publicity to encourage participation from students, faculty and area residents. The drive is both a direct aid program and a civic engagement opportunity, giving campus members a concrete way to respond to local need while raising awareness about nutritional insecurity in the region.

For Grand Traverse County residents, the drive offers immediate relief to families facing harder choices this season. Delivery of 175 meals will provide a tangible benefit to recipients, and the project can help reduce demand on other local food assistance outlets during a concentrated period of need. At the same time, the limited number of meals highlights the importance of longer term policy responses at the state and federal levels. Changes to SNAP eligibility and benefit levels are determined through legislative and administrative action, and they remain central to discussions about food security in the community.

As donations continue through November 18, the college encourages campus members and the public to participate through on campus drop off points and the online donation portal on the college website. The drive illustrates how local institutions can mobilize quickly, while also pointing to the broader policy conversations county residents may want to pursue with elected officials about the structure and adequacy of public food assistance.