The Bridge food center provides food; extra nourishment to community

Marsha Stamas, Bridge Food Center manager, believes every person should be treated with dignity. Even if families are struggling financially to make ends meet, those families deserve a high-quality, affordable grocery store to provide food and nourishment. Those with dietary restrictions or anyone making a few dollars more than the SNAP benefits income threshold are hesitant to utilize free food pantries. Sometimes it’s a lack of preferred items or a desire to not “take away” from those who are struggling even more. 

The Bridge Food Center began in December 2016 as a way to bridge the gap between opportunity and accessibility to food and personal care items. 

“After many conversations, what we heard was that they wanted to be able to provide for their families on their own, but wanted an affordable place to do that,” Stamas says. “Our mission statement is to provide opportunities for people to put high-quality, affordable food on their table by serving them with love, respect, and the help of God.”

Today, the grocery store sells items at wholesale prices, just marked up by only five cents. The extra nickel is used to cover the fees of accepting credit and debit card purchases. 

“When we started, we actually fundraised for pallets of food, so we raised enough money to buy a pallet of soup, sugar or flour, and mac ‘n’ cheese, spaghetti, and things like that,” Stamas says. “We started with 50 products we fundraised for. As we sell the product, we use that money to buy more. It’s kind of a self-sustaining piece.”

The store continues to fundraise for their rent, mortgage, utilities, fuel and grocery stores, and additional overhead items. Since they are volunteer-run, they don’t need to pay for labor. 

On the shelves, shoppers can find an array of products in addition to food, including household items and hygiene products. 

“When we first started, we had just the basics in around 2,500 square feet,” Stamas says. “We did take into consideration what customers asked for, but we were very limited on space as we began. We had the basic condiments, meats, pastas, and boxed goods.”

After moving into their current location at 1826 South Saginaw Road, The Bridge occupies over 15,000 square feet. The space includes a warehouse, meat-packing space, walk-in freezers, and a dock. The first year since moving in January 2024, the Bridge added 2,083 customers, says Stamas.

The Bridge’s new space features a lot more room to carry more items, including can openers, strainers, tongs, spoons, baking pans, and kitchen storage containers. They also stock shampoos, body washes, shaving items, baby wipes, Vaseline, toilet paper, paper towels, and items sold cheaper than the dollar store prices. 

“We’re not trying to be a 100% one-stop shop, but if we can get people to come to the Bridge first and get what they can, that minimizes what they have to purchase somewhere else,” Stamas says.

In addition to the added items, Stamas says the Bridge offers customers a sense of pride and dignity for shoppers. 

“More importantly, now our customers feel like they are proud to come to The Bridge. It’s not embarrassing to tell anyone you shop at The Bridge,” she says. “They’ll quickly tell a family member or friend about the Bridge being amazing, clean, and well-organized. It’s a beautiful store, and I’ve heard comments from people saying this is the nicest grocery store in town.”

This year, they have added 856 new customers. Although the Bridge does not require proof of income, its target audience is the Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed (ALICE) population. 

“This population is really diverse and can include young families starting out, single parents with one income, senior citizens on fixed incomes, it’s such a variety of people,” Stamas says. “Our income level is $72,000 a year for a family of four, but we don’t ask for proof of income. That’s the dignity of shopping at The Bridge is that you don’t have to prove your income or lack of income. You can come in, register, and get one of those key tags to shop here.”

The population of this income level often is unqualified for assistance anywhere else, above the threshold limit for SNAP/EBT benefits. Although they do not accept EBT cards, the Bridge is open to anyone, not just Midland County — helping to bridge the gap in surrounding communities experiencing food deserts or food instability. Customers often travel from Bay, Saginaw, Gratiot, and Isabella counties. 

“We also have a bonus section in the store, this is really where we bridge the gap for customers,” Stamas says. “We’re giving them good prices, but at every visit, every customer gets free produce and free bread. We have partnered with Hidden Harvest, community gardens, the farmers market, and local growers to donate those items to us. Whatever is given to The Bridge, we give back.”

Sometimes, shoppers even shed a tear of joy when they learn about the extra bonus items. In a time when everything is impacted by inflation, and folks are in a never-ending battle of trying to save and budget, a free loaf of bread can make a huge difference.

“The Bridge and our volunteers offer extra nourishment and love to our customers,” Stamas says. “Yes, it’s food, and it’s good prices — but it’s so much more than that. You have to come in and experience that to understand it here.”

Stamas says the community support of the grocery store has been vital to the nonprofit’s ability to grow and serve more. Local groups, churches, businesses, and neighborhoods often run food drives and donate their time in the store to make their mission possible. Volunteers work the check-in desk, stock the shelves, scan items as cashiers, work in the meat-packing or labeling team, drive the trucks to pick up deliveries, and work in the warehouse to check inventory and unload pallets. Every year, The Bridge hosts a golf outing, one of the organization’s biggest fundraisers. 

They operate under the umbrella called Elevate Community Ministries, a 501(c)(3). Stamas estimates 150-200 volunteers every year, but is always in need of more help. 

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Bridge is recommended to visit first, if they haven’t yet. 

“Seeing The Bridge really makes it come to life,” she says. “You see the impact The Bridge has on this community. We call it our volunteer family. Our volunteers love to serve, and it’s a very joyful place. Come visit, see us, get a tour, and find your spot.”

The Bridge is open Tuesday-Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m., Thursday from noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are closed on Monday and Friday, but plan to open up additional hours when they are able.