It’s beginning to look a lot like … Christmas in June!
Thank you for your support!
This “Christmas in June,” help restock area food pantries—United Way will do the shopping for you!
United Way of Southwest Michigan’s annual “Christmas in June” food drive for local pantries kicks off today to benefit 38 pantries in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties.
Every year, food pantries across Southwest Michigan are fully stocked in the winter months thanks to generous holiday donations—but when summer comes, pantry shelves are sparse. This can leave low-income, hard-working families with limited options during this time, and more families than ever need help this year.
So, for the fourth year in a row, United Way of Southwest Michigan asks local businesses and community members to participate in its “Christmas in June” event to stock local food pantries with items to get them through the warmer months.
And United Way is making it safer and easier than ever—because the shopping is done for you! Visit the “Christmas in June” page at uwsm.org and simply pick how much you want to spend, and United Way will make sure each pantry gets exactly what they need.
For example, a $10 GIFT PROVIDES the ability to purchase 28 items which will provide 13 meals for a family of 4, which should last them 3 days, while a $150 GIFT PROVIDES the ability to purchase 402 items which will provide 138 meals for a family of 4. There are food baskets and shopping charts in various dollar amounts in between.
“We had to come up with a different way of helping food pantries this year, and our ‘digital food drive’ is simple and easy since it can be done without even leaving home,” said Charlotte Becker, Director of Annual Campaign at United Way of Southwest Michigan. “The need is tremendous this year, and everyone who donates will make a big impact on families in our community.”
“Christmas in June” is part of a worldwide United Way “Day of Action” effort, held in June, during which tens of thousands of people across the globe volunteer with local United Ways to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.
Join United Way in bringing some cheer to local pantries again this June!
Local pantries receiving donations from “Christmas in June”:
Berrien County
Benton Harbor Street Ministry, Benton Harbor
Blue Roof Church, St. Joseph
Catholic Community Center, Benton Harbor
Christian Service Center, Niles
Coloma United Methodist Church, Coloma
Emergency Shelter Services, Benton Harbor
Fairplain Presbyterian Church, Benton Harbor
First Presbyterian Church, Benton Harbor
First Presbyterian Church, Niles
Harbor Country Emergency Food Pantry, Three Oaks
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Niles
Neighbor to Neighbor, Berrien Springs
New Heights Community Food Network, Benton Harbor
Red Bud Ministry, Buchanan
Road to Hope, St. Joseph
Seventh Day Adventist, Benton Harbor
Seventh Day Adventist, St. Joseph
Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency, Benton Harbor
St. Augustine of Canterbury, Benton Harbor
The Avenue - Cora Lamping Center, Benton Harbor
The Avenue - Harbor House, Benton Harbor
The Salvation Army - Benton Harbor Corps, Benton Harbor
The Salvation Army - Niles Corps, Niles
United Methodist Church, Berrien Springs
Watervliet Free Methodist Church, Watervliet
Woodland Shores Baptist Church, Bridgman
Cass County
Helping Hands of Cass County, Cassopolis
Action Ministries, Dowagiac
First Christian Church, Dowagiac
Marcellus United Methodist Church, Marcellus
Our Lady of the Lake, Edwardsburg
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Dowagiac
Van Buren County
Hartford United Methodist Church, Hartford
Decatur Human Services, Decatur
Eleanor's Pantry, Paw Paw
Gobles-Kendall Area Ministerial Association Food Pantry, Gobles
Living Water Food Pantry, Watervliet
We Care, Inc., South Haven