More than $100,000 in grants have been awarded by the DTE Energy Foundation to help provide meals for Michigan families facing food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic.

The state of Michigan is expanding its food assistance program in an effort to ensure college students struggling financially during the COVID pandemic can get help buying food. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced Wednesday that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits program will expand to low-income college students starting Thursday, April 1. Related: Michigan gains federal approval for second round of Pandemic-EBT benefitsAdThis could make about 200,000 more Michigan college students eligible. This is the second action taken by MDHHS during the pandemic to help college students buy food. Working with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, MDHHS last year expanded food assistance eligibility to many college students enrolled in career and technical education programs.

Danielle Miller, WaterfordA volunteer hands a box of food and supplies to a family in need. (WDIV)OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. Lighthouse of Oakland County has been servicing community members in the area for 48 years now. A legacy of do-goodersJames McQueen is the community outreach and pantry manager for Lighthouse. Those boxes filled with food and everyday household supplies ready to be deployed to families in need. James McQueen, community outreach director and pantry manager for Lighthouse talks about their volunteers.