Our Story!!!!!!!!!!!

The Bridging the Gap Project was built on one simple belief: when our community faces hardship, we face it together.

Our journey began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As businesses closed, jobs disappeared, and families throughout Charlevoix, Antrim, and Emmet Counties struggled with uncertainty, we knew we had to do something.

That's when Stiggs Feed A Friend was born.

Our mission was simple—to make sure no one in our community went hungry. We started by serving a weekly prepared meal, offering not only food, but also hope and a reminder that no one had to face difficult times alone.

For several years, that was our focus.

Then everything changed.

In 2025, Northern Michigan was devastated by a historic ice storm. Entire communities were left without power, heat, internet, and access to basic necessities. Roads were impassable, grocery store shelves were empty, and thousands of families suddenly found themselves in survival mode.

We knew we couldn't stand by.

Working alongside an incredible network of volunteers, businesses, donors, first responders, shelters, churches, and community partners, we immediately shifted into emergency response.

Over the course of just 43 days, we provided food, emergency supplies, hygiene products, household essentials, and critical resources to 1,643 individuals, families, and emergency shelters throughout Charlevoix, Antrim, and Emmet Counties.

Those 43 days changed us forever.

We saw that hunger was only one part of the struggle. Families needed diapers, toiletries, cleaning supplies, pet food, baby items, household essentials, and someone who could help connect them with the resources they desperately needed.

The ice storm showed us that our impact could be so much greater.

When the emergency response came to an end, we sat down with our partners at Manna Food Project and asked one simple question:

"How can we continue making this kind of difference every single week?"

Together, we identified a gap that many families experience.

Food pantries are often closed on weekends. School meals aren't available. For many families, those two days become the hardest part of the week.

That conversation became the foundation of what is now our Weekly Family Food Box Program.

Instead of providing one prepared meal, we began providing families with carefully packed food boxes designed to help feed them throughout the week. Every box includes a variety of fresh produce, proteins, dairy products, pantry staples, and household essentials whenever available.

But we wanted to do more than provide groceries.

We know that when families are under stress, one of the hardest questions isn't simply, "Do we have food?" It's "What am I going to make for dinner?"

That's why every week our team creates a customized menu using the exact ingredients included in that week's food boxes. We provide simple breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, along with creative ways to use leftovers to create entirely new meals. Our goal is to remove the stress of meal planning, reduce food waste, stretch every ingredient, and help families feel confident putting healthy meals on the table.

As our mission continued to grow, we realized our name no longer reflected everything we had become.

While Stiggs Feed A Friend will always be where our story began, our work had expanded far beyond serving meals. We had become an organization focused on food security, emergency response, essential household resources, community partnerships, and helping people navigate life's most difficult moments.

That is why we became the Bridging the Gap Project.

Our name reflects our purpose: bridging the gap between hardship and hope, crisis and stability, and people in need with the resources that help them move forward.

Today, we proudly serve Charlevoix, Antrim, and Emmet Counties with the same heart that started our journey during the pandemic. Every food box packed, every partnership formed, every volunteer who gives their time, and every donor who believes in our mission helps strengthen our community.

What began as a single prepared meal has grown into a movement dedicated to ensuring that no family has to face hardship alone.

Because at the Bridging the Gap Project, we believe the strongest communities are built when neighbors help neighbors—and together, we bridge the gap.