The list below features the proposals selected for funding through special grant opportunities offered by the Office of Sixty by 30.
The Hunger-Free Campus grant funding supports public, Tribal, and independent institutions of higher education in Michigan in implementing sustainable solutions to addressing student basic needs on campus, and specifically food insecurity of students. Ideally these strategies and solutions are in partnership with local and/or state organizations that address food insecurity.
Amount: $100,000.00
Project Summary:
A central component of Alma College’s hunger-free campus grant is the creation of a cross-functional Campus Hunger Task Force. This team—composed of students, Dining Services, Student Affairs, Financial Services, Student Success, and Residence Life—will coordinate all campus food insecurity efforts. The task force will assess needs, review usage trends, ensure cultural responsiveness, and guide long-term planning.
The project also includes renovations to the current food pantry space, which is no longer adequate to meet student demand. Grant funding will allow Alma College to create a more functional, well-equipped space with improved refrigeration, expanded shelving, and dedicated food-preparation equipment such as a microwave or stove. This expanded space will support both residential and commuting students, including those without meal plans, and will reduce stigma by creating a welcoming, dignified environment. Funding will also allow the pantry to remain stocked throughout the summer months, when demand is often highest.
Another key strategy is the expansion of the College’s break-stay grocery gift card program into the summer. While Alma College currently provides grocery gift cards during Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks, approximately 100 students remain on campus for the summer due to a lack of safe, permanent, stable housing, and these already vulnerable students experience food insecurity due to the length of the break and closure of dining facilities.
Finally, the grant will support hiring a dedicated food security intern. This intern will manage day-today pantry operations, coordinate the summer grocery program, conduct outreach, and collect data. They will also receive training to assist students in applying for SNAP benefits, providing a sustainable long-term resource that extends institutional support and reduces reliance on emergency interventions.
Amount: $99,700.00
Project Summary:
Alpena Community College (ACC) will strengthen and formalize its existing food pantry services through targeted infrastructure expansion, structured access tracking, benefit navigation support, and coordinated institutional oversight during the Hunger-Free Campus Activities grant period.
Grant funding will expand refrigeration and freezer capacity across four pantry locations, increasing availability of fresh and perishable food options. ACC will also implement a structured ID-based access and utilization tracking system to standardize pantry entry, reduce stigma, and generate real-time data to guide inventory planning, monitor equitable access, and strengthen long-term sustainability. The grant funding will also be used for cafeteria meal vouchers to support students experiencing acute food insecurity, distributed through established advising and student support referral processes.
To extend support beyond short-term food distribution, ACC will partner with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to integrate SNAP awareness and referral guidance into advising conversations and campus resource events. Educational workshops focused on budgeting, meal planning, effective use of pantry items, and SNAP awareness will serve a minimum of 100 students during the grant period.
ACC will formalize a cross-functional Hunger Task Force composed of faculty, staff, student representatives, the ACC Foundation, and community partners. The Task Force will meet at least three times annually to review utilization and assessment data, establish measurable goals, and coordinate ongoing food access initiatives.
ACC will also administer a baseline campus food insecurity assessment using the USDA 6-Item Food Security Module, followed by a fall snapshot survey to inform planning and continuous improvement.
Amount: $99,982.00
Project Summary:
The Student Food Pantry (SFP) at Central Michigan University is set to move into a permanent space in Ronan Hall in 2026. With grant funding through MiLEAP's Hunger-Free Campus Activities Grant, the student food pantry will purchase a combination walk-in cooler and freezer, a set of refrigerated lockers, and a large order of bulk dry goods. A cooler and freezer combination unit will allow the SFP to store and supply frozen goods to students on a more consistent basis. Refrigerated lockers will allow the SFP to launch an order and pickup system for students who cannot physically use the pantry due to time or accessibility constraints. Bulk supplies will allow the pantry to begin in the new space with a full stock of essential dry goods. All three will ensure that the Student Food Pantry is prepared to enhance and expand food insecurity resources and services for students after its move.
Amount: $32,100.00
Project Summary:
Davenport University (DU)’s MiLEAP Hunger-Free Activities Grant funding will be used to launch Panther Resource Closet Plus (PRC Plus), an expansion of DU’s campus food and basic needs supports for its nearly 5,000 students. Building on the Panther Resource Closet, DU’s on-campus pantry providing free groceries and hygiene items, PRC Plus will scale food purchasing, distribution, transportation supports, and the Panther Fresh Market model across all four DU campuses (Grand Rapids, Midland, Lansing, and Warren). The grant will enable DU to meet rising demand and remove access barriers so students can reliably meet basic needs and remain focused on their studies. The expansion is projected to directly support 800–1,200 students during the six-month grant period.
PRC Plus strengthens and formalizes the Panther Resource Closet at DU’s Grand Rapids, Midland, Lansing, and Warren campuses by making food purchasing and distribution consistent and reliable across locations. Students will have access to fresh and frozen foods, hygiene items, culturally responsive options, meal kits, and break food baskets when campus services are limited. PRC Plus will also provide flexible, stigma-free options for students to access food, including meal vouchers and gift cards for all students, with particular benefit for commuter, adult, and working students with limited time or kitchen access. DU will scale the Panther Fresh Market model, piloted successfully at the Grand Rapids campus in 2025, to the Midland, Lansing, and Warren campuses through campus-based and pop-up market events. The Panther Fresh Market is a farmers market–style distribution that provides no-cost fresh produce in visible, welcoming settings, reducing stigma and normalizing help-seeking.
Transportation barriers will be addressed through shuttle access and bus passes connecting students to campus and community food resources. Through PRC Plus, DU will provide additional training and referral tools for faculty, staff, advisors, coaches, administrators, and student leaders to strengthen early identification of food insecurity and warm referrals, alongside SNAP enrollment workshops and benefits navigation to connect students to longer-term assistance. Implementation will be guided through DU’s relaunched Hunger Task Force, with student representation and centralized tracking of PRC Plus supports to provide real-time improvements.
Amount $16,850.66
Project Summary:
Hunger-Free Campus Activities grant funding will support Kalamazoo College’s efforts to expand its Hungry Hornets initiative by strengthening food access infrastructure, increasing student awareness of hunger-free resources, and reducing practical barriers to participation. The project will fund the purchase and installation of an industrial-grade refrigerator and freezer, along with a compatible temperature monitoring system, to increase the quantity and variety of free meals available to students in a centrally located, stigma-free setting with 24/7 access.
These new appliances will allow Kalamazoo College to safely expand food availability while ensuring appropriate temperature control and food safety. The addition of a compatible temperature monitoring system will support consistent oversight of the appliances and reduce the risk of food loss. The College’s on-campus dining provider has committed to monitoring the equipment and continuing to supply free meals, supporting long-term program sustainability.
In addition to infrastructure improvements, MiLEAP grant funding will support a campus-wide awareness campaign to improve student knowledge of existing hunger-free programs and these new enhancements. Planned activities include clear signage for the new appliances, coordinated outreach through campus health and food services, and the distribution of free reusable “to-go” cafeteria containers to reduce barriers related to dining schedules and cost. Together, these activities will expand access to nutritious food, improve program visibility, and reinforce Kalamazoo College’s commitment to supporting student well-being and basic needs.
Amount: $75,000.00
Project Summary:
With support from the MiLEAP Hunger-Free Campus Activities Grant, Lake Michigan College (LMC) will strengthen food access infrastructure across the Benton Harbor, South Haven, and Bertrand Innovation Center (BIC) campuses.
In response to identified needs at the BIC satellite campus, LMC will establish an inaugural Red Hawk Snack Shack at that location, ensuring students have immediate access to food support. To improve the usability of existing resources across campuses, microwaves and mobile carts will be added to five of the ten current Red Hawk Snack Shacks so students can heat ready-to-eat meals between classes. Reusable, dignity centered pantry bags featuring subtle LMC branding will allow students to transport food discreetly while reducing waste. On the main campus, a dedicated pickup freezer will improve food safety, decrease waste, and provide greater flexibility for students collecting frozen items. Additional investment in pantry storage and organizational infrastructure will support increased food volume from partners such as the Southwest Michigan Nutrition Exchange and Feeding America of West Michigan, improving efficiency and minimizing spoilage.
To ensure sustainability and equitable access, LMC will also invest in inventory, technology, and outreach. Fall semester restocking funds will maintain consistent access to nutritious options across campuses, while targeted summer orientation marketing will reduce stigma and increase early awareness of available support. At the South Haven satellite campus, a right-sized meal-kit pickup model, supported by commercial refrigeration and shelving, will replace the current practice of transporting items from the main campus, reducing food transport challenges and waste while better aligning services with student usage patterns. Branded meal kit boxes, developed in partnership with the Southwest Michigan Nutrition Exchange and culinary students, will provide balanced, easy to prepare meals that support current Pantry to Plate programming and offer take home options during academic breaks. Campus wide signage and visual marketing will normalize food access as part of holistic student support. Finally, installation of smart pickup lockers on the main campus will expand secure, coded access beyond business hours, increasing convenience for evening students
Amount: $26,500.00
Project Summary:
Muskegon Community College (MCC) will use the Hunger-Free Campus Activities grant funding to expand the Jayhawk Hub, a holistic resource center addressing food insecurity. MCC will implement two strategic enhancements:
1. Enhanced Technology--Replacing manual electronic forms with dedicated food pantry management software, which will provide a streamlined data collection system and outreach tool. This technology yields the disaggregated data required to formalize a partnership with Feeding America West Michigan.
2. Expanded Infrastructure--Funding will be used to purchase a commercial freezer, enabling the Jayhawk Hub to store and distribute frozen food for the first time. An electric utility wagon will ensure the safe transport of these bulk loads across campus.
Amount: $45,050.00
Project Summary:
North Central Michigan College’s Campus Cupboard is a vital resource helping students overcome one of the most significant barriers to academic success: food insecurity. Located in rural Northern Michigan, the College serves a growing population of working learners, student parents, and low-income students who face rising living costs and limited transportation access.
With support from the Hunger-Free Campus Activities Grant, North Central will transform the Campus Cupboard from a constrained pantry into a scalable, student-centered food security hub. Grant funding will support relocation to a larger, 370-square-foot space in the Borra Learning Center—more than doubling current capacity and placing the pantry in one of the most highly trafficked buildings on campus. The new location offers extended hours, improving access for students who attend evening classes, work during the day, or have caregiving responsibilities.
Infrastructure investments will expand refrigeration and freezer capacity, allowing the pantry to offer more fresh and perishable foods. A grocery-style layout, enhanced shelving, and privacy features will create a welcoming, normalized experience that reduces stigma. Technology upgrades will implement a real-time inventory and reporting system, enabling the College to track usage patterns and connect food access data to student retention and completion outcomes.
In direct response to student feedback, North Central will also introduce new service models, including grab-and-go weekend food bags, customized online weekend orders, in-person shopping hours on select evenings and weekends, and emergency meal vouchers for students experiencing acute food insecurity.
