Fighting Weekend Hunger, One Bag at a Time: How Hospitality House is Expanding Its Reach with Help from Impact100 Oakland County
At Hospitality House, we believe that no child should have to wonder where their next meal will come from—especially over the weekend when school meals aren’t available. Thanks to the support of Impact100 Oakland County, we’ve been able to expand and enhance our Weekend Food Program, making a meaningful difference for families in our community.
Expanding Our Reach
With the help of this grant, we’ve grown our Weekend Food Program from 9 to 15 schools in the Walled Lake Consolidated School District, and we’ve proudly launched the program in the Novi Community School District as of March 2025. This expansion means more children across our region are going home each weekend with nutritious food in hand and hope in their hearts.
A Fresh Start with Fresh Fruit
This spring, we introduced a welcome new feature: fresh fruit in every bag. It’s a small change with a big impact—providing more balanced nutrition and reinforcing our commitment to quality, dignity, and care in every meal we provide.
A New Team Member on Board
Though we faced some delays in the hiring process, we’re thrilled to have welcomed Andy Snyder as our new Project Coordinator in May 2025. Andy brings energy, compassion, and experience to this vital role, and his leadership will help us take the program to the next level.
Overcoming Challenges with Teamwork
Like many nonprofits, we’ve faced challenges—especially when it came to hiring. Limited candidates and last-minute offer declines slowed our progress. But our team didn’t miss a beat. Despite being short-staffed, we still launched in Novi and expanded in Walled Lake, thanks to the hard work, dedication, and flexibility of our staff. It’s a testament to the power of mission-driven teamwork.
The Power of Community Support
In addition to the Impact100 grant, we’ve received generous support from the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan ($50,000) and MGM Resorts ($5,000). This layered funding approach ensures we can keep the program growing while planning for long-term sustainability.
We’re also actively pursuing new grants, in-kind food donations, and contributions of drawstring bags to help reduce program costs. And of course, our amazing individual donors and fundraising events continue to be a lifeline for our work.
Real Stories. Real Impact.
The true measure of this program’s success comes directly from the families we serve. Our end-of-year survey captured the heartwarming feedback of parents whose children benefit from the food bags each week:
“As the school year comes to an end, I just want to say thank you for the Weekend Food Program. I really enjoyed the food you offered for my kids to take home — it was a big help and truly appreciated. Thank you for thinking of families and making sure our children were supported even outside of school days!”
“This program is the best! My child was so excited every Thursday looking forward to receiving his bag from school.”
Spreading the Word
We’re proud to share the impact of the Weekend Food Program through our annual report, brochures, and a new video now featured on the homepage of our website at hhfp.org. These materials help us educate the community, celebrate our partners, and encourage even more families to get involved.
Looking ahead, we plan to create tailored materials for the Walled Lake and Novi school districts to help parents learn about and enroll in the program. As we continue to grow, we remain focused on making sure every child in need has the food they deserve—weekends included.
Want to help support the Weekend Food Program?
Visit www.hhfp.org to learn how you can donate, volunteer, or spread the word.
Together, we can ensure no child goes hungry—because a full stomach is the foundation for a bright future.