Punks With Lunch celebrate 2 years of advocating for Lansing’s houseless

The grassroots charity group, Punks With Lunch, aiming to feed and clothe communities in need turns two this Friday. The evening will feature a donation table and performances from City Mouse, Scary Women, Dasterds and more.

Co-directors Julia Miller and Martin Mashon started out making sandwiches in their kitchen by themselves, but according to Miller there has been a considerable increase in community support this year.

“In the last year we've created the TARDIS food pantry in front of Everybody Reads Bookstore on Michigan Ave,” said Miller. “We provided picnic tables in Reutter Park this summer...we’ve also reached out and built connections with the mayor and other city officials in regards to the future plans for the park area.”

This year the Lansing chapter made headlines with its blue telephone booth food pantry, also referred to as a TARDIS, on East Michigan Avenue and for putting up a fight to keep benches in Reutter Park — a common place largely used by those facing housing insecurity.

In addition to setting up a food pantry and preserving common spaces, the group has conducted clean up events, provided water and cooling center resource information during the spring and summer.

“Our goals for this winter is to have a winter without experiencing the deaths of any unhoused residents due to exposure. We've already started recruiting folks to help ensure that people have winter wear, handwarmers, blankets and the resource information as far as safe places they can find shelter,” Miller said.

Punks With Lunch

Friday, November 22

8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The Avenue Café

2021 E. Michigan Ave.

(517) 492-7403