Ann Arbor VA closes pop-up food pantry for veterans, a week before holidays

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - An Ann Arbor food pantry, known for helping veterans and their families in need, is closing its doors a week before Christmas.

The VA Ann Arbor's 'Pop-Up Food Pantry' offers high-quality groceries to 60 veterans, free of charge each month.

"They take care of us veterans when we need it, said veteran Pinkey Gaston, "The food pantry is very nice and very helpful."

For Gaston, a trip to the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System is about more than medical-care. Gaston also benefits from the VAs pop up food pantry available to veterans twice a month on Thursdays. But one week before Christmas, the VA Healthcare System used a social media post to say it would temporarily pause its food pantry service after Thursday. Dec.19

It’s devastating news to the vets who use this service. The post provides links for veterans to research other food pantries if they experience food insecurity.

Right now, volunteers are putting out the remaining food, but officials make it clear that after this there’s nothing else. FOX 2 reached out to the VA to learn why the pantry was closing and we received a statement which reads in part:

"The contract with our charitable organization is currently under review and has caused us to temporarily pause our pop-up food pantry."

"Quality food they will be missed though," said Gaston.