Muskegon County approves two one-time senior millage grants to speed food aid for older residents

Muskegon County commissioners on Nov. 13 approved two one-time allocations from unspent senior millage dollars and accrued interest to expand emergency food access for older residents.

The board voted to authorize up to $75,000 to AgeWell to address a reported waiting list of about 480 seniors and to allocate up to $75,000 to the United Way’s United Response Fund to underwrite rapid-response grants and other barriers-to-access efforts. The allocations cover the county fiscal year 2026 period described by staff and are drawn from previously approved but unspent senior millage funds.

County staff and community partners told commissioners the local charitable food system remains stressed and needed a faster vehicle to move limited resources to pantries and organizations serving seniors during the holiday season. Kris Vanderstell, who convened a multi-agency panel, said charitable shipments into the community had declined steeply: "There's about 50% less charitable food that is coming into our community and then out through our pantry systems." She described the United Response Fund’s model of small, rapid grants and said, "The committee will then meet very quickly within 24 hours" to review applications.

Public health director Kathy Moore clarified the source of the dollars: "This is money that was allocated by this board and not used," noting the funds come from previous budget years and interest earnings and will not reduce awards already scheduled in the current year.

How the grants will work: the United Response Fund will operate a quick-application process similar to the COVID-era rapid grants. Two grant tracks are planned — one for services focused on people 60 and older and one for services for people under 60 — to preserve reporting consistency with the senior millage. Grants are expected to be small, rapid awards in the range of $3,000–$5,000 to address discrete barriers such as transportation, equipment, or a single truckload of food. Staff said residents seeking assistance should start at the United Way landing page and community portal (feedmuskegon.org) and can also call 211 for referrals.

The board voted unanimously to approve both allocations. Commissioners and staff said the approach was intended to move money quickly before the holidays and to allow the Senior Millage Committee — which has no meeting scheduled until January — to review remaining funds at a later date.

Next steps: County staff will post application and referral links on the county website and coordinate with United Way and local partners to begin distributing rapid-response grants.