Trojan Market Food Pantry
The StarrAgency partnered with Principal Laura McDuffey Lavender and the Agent Charitable Fund - Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan to launch the Trojan Market Food Pantry to help fight childhood hunger in the MPS district, specifically at the 5/6th grade building (formerly Cantrick).
Food insecurity at home is a very real issue. Not every child looks forward to the weekend — for some, it means going home to empty cupboards and limited food options. Roughly 1 in 5 children face this challenge.
Thankfully, school social workers Livie Kleinow and Emma Favreau are our frontline heroes, managing the day-to-day needs of the students and identifying those who may benefit from the Trojan Market. Any student showing a need can visit the pantry and fill their backpack with food to get them through the weekend until school meals are available again on Monday.
In addition to using their own personal funds, the Starrs have been busy fundraising to make this possible. They recently secured a $2,000 grant from the Agent Charitable Fund and had an incredibly successful fundraising and auction night at the Monroe County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting — its members raised an additional $2,100 for the pantry!
A huge thank-you to Anna Sahloff for giving Ben the opportunity to speak, and to everyone who attended and contributed. A big shout-out to H&H Signs for the beautiful door wrap! It creates a welcoming and relaxing environment for the kids and helps make the pantry a positive, uplifting, and less stressful space.
We hope this effort inspires others to look around their own communities and find ways to support children who are struggling with hunger. Together, we can make a difference!
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Persis Sopariwala
August 15, 2025 Agent Charitable Fund Manager
517-323-6628
psopari@michfb.com
MFB Family of Companies Awards Grant to Monroe Public Schools
Monroe, Mich. – Monroe Public Schools was recently awarded a $2,000 grant to fight childhood food insecurity by the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies (MFBFoC) and Michigan Farm Bureau Agent Charitable Fund (ACF). Grant funds will provide food for students in the new Monroe 5/6 Building.
Agents for Change Grants are awarded to Michigan school districts every other month. Schools are nominated by a local Farm Bureau Insurance agent and selected by a committee of ACF donors based on the need of the school and overall goal of the program.
Farm Bureau agent Kelsey Starr nominated Monroe Public Schools for the grant and is proud to come alongside the district and support their hunger-relief efforts. As Starr says, “I have been involved in other areas of need and help for Monroe Public Schools in the past, and sadly, the district continues to have a high need for help with food insecurity. With this revamp and new building for the 5th and 6th graders, I felt it would be a wonderful opportunity to create a food pantry or food closet.”
The ACF, whose mission is to end hunger in Michigan, is a donor-designated fund administered through the Michigan Foundation for Agriculture. The Michigan Foundation for Agriculture, a 501(c)(3) governed by the MFBFoC’s board of directors, positively contributes to the future of Michigan agriculture through leadership and educational programming.
Operating at the intersection of market and moral missions, the MFBFoC has a powerful vision: a Michigan where no child goes to bed hungry. MFBFoC is reinvesting their proceeds back into their local communities and identifying effective programs, policies and practices designed to directly reduce childhood hunger.
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If you would like more information about the MFBFoC childhood hunger relief efforts, please contact Audrey Carey at acarey@michfb.com.
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