COVID-19 Resources
Public Health Emergency Ends: Resources
Public Health Emergency Formally Ends May 11
With the COVID-19 public health emergency formally ending tomorrow (Thursday, May 11, 2023), food banks across Michigan are looking to address the growing demand for their services.
Food bank officials have pointed out that families across the state have not yet recovered from the financial hardships caused by the pandemic and ongoing inflation. And as schools close for the summer break in just a few weeks, families will need even more assistance.
According to an entry from the Nonprofit Journal Project: In Michigan, over 1.4 million individuals and 749,757 households participating in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which supplements the food budget of needy individuals and families in the U.S., were impacted by the expiration of additional pandemic-related SNAP allotments in February, according to agency data as of Dec. 2022.
Depending on income levels and eligibility, SNAP participants lost a minimum of $95 in extra benefits in March, with some losing access to several hundred dollars in monthly nutrition assistance, according to examples on the state’s Food Assistance Program website.
Michigan Nonprofit Association is working diligently to provide a list of online resources for nonprofits and the communities they serve. The Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM), a member of MNA, has a list of regional food banks statewide where nonprofits can get more information to help with food insecurity.
Poverty Task Force Medicaid Redetermination Webinar
Watch the webinar from May 17, 2023 on Medicaid redetermination, hosted by LEO Deputy Director Kim Trent, key staffer to the Michigan Poverty Task Force, and featuring Zachary Dillinger with the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services and Nicole Hudson with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The pair will present on federal changes that impact Medicaid beneficiaries and options for those who may no longer be eligible for Medicaid coverage.
During the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, many changes were made to the Medicaid program's eligibility, administration, and policies to ease rules for providers and prevent Medicaid beneficiaries from losing health care coverage. Nationwide, Medicaid beneficiaries will have to renew their coverage starting this year to comply with federal legislation. In Michigan, annual renewals will begin again in June 2023.
Additional Resources
With the pandemic officially coming to a close on May 11, MNA invites nonprofits to check out our Nonprofit Journal Project- a partnership with Co.act Detroit and Second Wave Michigan. The journal series highlights awareness on the dire issues nonprofits have faced during the past three years of the pandemic.
CHECK OUT THESE ENTRIES IN THE NONPROFIT JOURNAL SERIES:
- Emergency food providers feel the crunch of rising costs amid inflation
- Former teen mother now supports other young women who find themselves pregnant or struggling
- NOAH Project connects to people who are homeless with street outreach
- A financial triple whammy for nonprofits
- A basic needs forecast from nonprofits serving those who struggle the most
- JARC gets nimble in the pandemic to keep its vulnerable people safe and connected to community
- Undaunted by the pandemic, Mint dances into new projects and draws in more creative youth
- Lessons learned while covering Southeast Michigan's nonprofits
- A smarter food security system