UPCAP Veteran Food Assistance
The Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP) has been focused on development of the human, social, and community resources of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and improving the lives of its residents since 1961. Some key milestones are listed on the UPCAP website, detailing its impressive growth and expansion of services over the years (https://upcap.org/about/). In August of 2020 UPCAP created its Upper Peninsula Veterans Program and became the fiduciary for the Upper Peninsula Veterans Community Action Team (U.P. VCAT), which is a Regional collaborative of Veteran service providers.
Since January of 2021 UPCAP has coordinated with U.P. VCAT partners to help address Veteran food security by facilitating the distribution of approximately $279,300 in food and gas cards to over 2,130 Veteran households, serving approximately 4,057 household members. Eligible applicants who participated in the programming were also screened for other needs and provided appropriate referrals, resource directories for Veteran services, and brochures for nutrition and diabetes prevention programming. This undertaking would have not been possible without the help of UPCAP and it’s 2-1-1 call center staff, as well as many partners across the Region from Federal, State, County, and local nonprofit levels. It also required the generosity of funders like the Bob Woodruff Foundation, Superior Health Foundation, Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, Dickinson Area Community Foundation, and Rockland American Legion Post 92. The below map depicts the approximate number of food card recipients by zip code to date (https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1P9mkBfohuPGXZOT_-QD6IfUqATTL5Ko&usp=sharing).
UPCAP also has been facilitating the Food as Medicine and Fresh Food Access programs, providing vouchers for eligible applicants to utilize at participating markets and farms across the Upper Peninsula (more information available here: (https://upcap.org/program/food-as-medicine/, https://upcap.org/program/up-fresh-food-access-program/). We are fortunate to enjoy strong partnerships within the U.P., which are necessary for successful collaboration across a geography of over 16,000 square miles. Those looking for food and other resources are always encouraged to dial 2-1-1 to get connected.