Punks With Lunch Lansing

Punks with Lunch Lansing provides crucial services to vulnerable residents in Lansing, Michigan, focusing on addressing homelessness, substance use disorders (SUD), and food insecurity. Our program provides harm reduction supplies, including clean needle exchange, overdose prevention supplies like naloxone, and Fentanyl test strips. Substance use disorders and overdoses have increased during the pandemic. Our mobile Syringe Service Program aims to reduce HIV and HCV incidence and provide access to other health services. We also offer Fentanyl test strips and naloxone. Punks with Lunch Lansing is a grassroots organization dedicated to serving Lansing’s most vulnerable residents. Our proposed program aims to meet the County’s long-term objective of meeting basic needs by providing free supplies, including hygiene and first aid items, clothing, and food, at no cost to our participants. Our services are delivered through biweekly outreach events and daily assistance at our main location, the Fledge. We also maintain the Tardis Pantry in Lansing’s Eastside neighborhood, providing 24/7 food assistance to those in need. Our program stands out due to its proactive approach to outreach. Every other Saturday, in addition to our distribution setup in Reutter Park, we send volunteer street teams into the community, reaching homeless encampments, the CATA station, shelters, and other areas where our participants often spend their time. This allows us to bring our services to those who may not have the ability to come to us.

The population Punks with Lunch Lansing primarily serves is largely comprised of unhoused, transient, low-to-no income individuals and those with substance use disorders. We specifically serve the residents of Ingham County, especially in Lansing, with our home office being located at The Fledge at 1300 Eureka St, and our bi-weekly distribution events taking place in downtown Lansing at Reutter Park. We do not require any form of proof of need to participate in our services. We do not wish to discourage the use of our program by requiring extra work on the participant’s side.