Nonprofit supplying meals to Muskegon school after paused food service

Nonprofit

Mar 31

Written By Staff

In response to the sudden loss of school food service, Kids’ Food Basket (KFB) has begun to serve lunch to students at Muskegon Maritime Academy. The service began this winter after a budget crisis put nearly 100 students without school meals each weekday. Leadership at the school and KFB quickly partnered to counter the impending cutoff.

“We are grateful for Kids Food Basket stepping in to support the students of Muskegon Maritime Academy during a time of uncertainty,” said Jessica Owens, Principal at Muskegon Maritime Academy. “The smile on our cadets' faces as they get their personally packed bag of food is a true indicator of the good works Kids Food Basket continues to do for the kids of Muskegon.”

KFB, which serves more than 11,000 healthy evening meals to 68 West Michigan schools each weekday, is committed to providing a nutritious midday meal to Muskegon Maritime Academy for the remainder of the school year.

“We have been long dedicated to increasing access to healthy food for Muskegon County children, where more than 29% of the youth population are experiencing food insecurity,” said Bridget Clark Whitney, President and Founding CEO at Kids’ Food Basket. “We are honored by the trust the Muskegon Maritime Academy administration has put in us to provide the consistent nutrition their students deserve.”

This response was made possible in part by KFB’s recent expansion of services in Muskegon County, with the 2025 purchase and renovation of a new location on Barclay Street. The expansion has enabled the distribution of more than 500 additional daily evening meals to children in Muskegon County, as well as meaningful community partnerships, educational opportunities, and emergency response agility.

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