Flint, Michigan – The City of Flint is moving forward with its temporary food voucher program. The city added that any vouchers that have previously been given will still be respected, even if federal SNAP benefits have been fully reinstated. City authorities stressed that even if the immediate crisis has passed, their promise to residents will be in place until everyone who is eligible has gotten their help.
The voucher program was set up during a critical time when the federal government shut down and SNAP benefits were halted, leaving many Flint families and federal workers unclear of where to get their next meal. As the emergency situation got worse, the city came up with a short-term plan to help residents get the food they needed. Officials stated that there will be no second wave of vouchers now that benefits are back on track. Still, they said that the city will maintain its promise to everybody who has already received one.
During a time of true uncertainty, Mayor Sheldon Neeley said that families needed the city’s help.
“Residents relied on this program during a period of real uncertainty,” said Mayor Sheldon Neeley. “Although SNAP benefits have resumed, we will continue honoring the vouchers we issued. Keeping our word to residents remains our top priority.”
The city worked together with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan to set up a clear and unified redemption process for the last part of the program. The Food Bank’s Outreach Facility at 2211 Lapeer Road, the old Northgate Building, will be the only place where people can get food boxes that are part of the voucher program. Officials highlighted that no deliveries will take place at former venues, including Christian Love Faith Center, the Hunger Solution Center on Howard Avenue, or the Food Bank’s principal warehouse on Lapeer Road.
The two dates for redemption, November 14 and November 18, have already passed. The last planned event will take place on Friday, November 21, at 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Voucher recipients must arrive during the allocated window and are required to observe all traffic and safety directions given on-site.
Residents must also produce two items to get a food box: the city-issued voucher itself and matching identification. People who did not get a coupon are asked not to go to the distribution venue since only vouchers that have already been given out will be accepted.
City authorities stressed that the initiative was meant to be a short-term lifeline for families that were financially affected by the government closure. Flint officials say they are still committed to ending the program in a fair and orderly way, even though the emergency is over. They will make sure that every voucher still in the community is honored exactly as promised.