More than 100 restaurants in Michigan are now participating in a food assistance program called the Restaurant Meal Program.
It's for low income individuals who are elderly, disabled or homeless. They can use their food assistance benefit for hot or cold meals at restaurants, in addition to buying food at grocery stores.
Nicole Denson-Sogbaka is the Economic Stability Administration policy director with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
She said the program has received very positive feedback from recipients like people who are homeless.
"(Some of them) were unaware that they had the benefit available," Denson-Sogbaka said. As a result, they "were super excited to purchase hot or cold foods because they were homeless, and didn't have the ability to keep food items stored properly."
The benefit is also of great help for some eligible people who have disabilities, she said. "If they don't have someone who can come over and cook for them, they're able to go to a participating restaurant and purchase a meal that way."
See if there is a participating restaurant near you:
Denson-Sogbaka said more than 200 more restaurants are waiting to be added to the list. She said 26 counties have enrolled restaurants; the state hopes to eventually have enrolled restaurants in every county in Michigan.
