Vibe Credit Union Doubles Down: $160,000 Backs Six Detroit-Area Nonprofits Fighting Hunger and Housing Strain

Money moves fastest when it lands in the hands of people already doing the work, and a new round of grants in Southeast Michigan does exactly that.

The Good Vibes Foundation, the charitable arm of Vibe Credit Union, has announced its first-ever grant cycle. The Foundation awarded $60,000 to six local nonprofits, and Vibe Credit Union then added $100,000 of its own. Total: $160,000. The recipients are Hospitality House Food Pantry, Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, Lighthouse, Detroit Friendship House, Make Food Not Waste and Humble Design Detroit. Each focuses on food security, housing stability or financial well-being for families around Detroit.

A new foundation with a long track record behind it

The Foundation launched earlier this year and organizes its work around three pillars: financial education, financial inclusion and empowerment, and community betterment. In practice, that means housing, money management and food access. Vibe isn’t new to this, either. Since 2022, the credit union has put more than $1.5 million and 21,000 volunteer hours into Southeast Michigan communities.

The need is not subtle. “When nearly four in 10 Michiganders struggle to afford basic necessities and one in five Michigan children face hunger, the need in our communities is impossible to ignore,” said Stephanie Leahy, the Foundation’s executive director and Vibe’s vice president of community impact. “These six organizations are meeting that need every day, whether it’s food on the table, a plan for a family’s finances or a safe, furnished home. By matching grant dollars, Vibe Credit Union is ensuring the Foundation’s investment extends even further.”

Where the money is going

The biggest award went to Hospitality House Food Pantry in Oakland County: a $10,000 Foundation grant plus a $40,000 Vibe match. It will cover food rescue, transportation, storage and distribution, keeping a client-choice pantry stocked with fresh produce, dairy and meat for thousands of families, seniors and children. Client-choice means people pick their own groceries, much like shopping in a store.

“For 25 years, Hospitality House has worked to make sure no neighbor goes without and to serve every person who walks through our doors with dignity and respect,” said executive director Susan Erspamer. “This support from the Good Vibes Foundation and Vibe Credit Union comes at a critical time when costs are rising and basic essentials like groceries are hard for families to afford. It will help us ensure the families, seniors and children we serve have the freedom to choose the groceries that are right for them.”

The other five each received a $10,000 Foundation grant, with Vibe’s match sized to the funding need identified in each application:

• Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency: $15,000 match for its Pathways to Homeownership Program, which helps more than 800 Metro Detroit families each year prepare for and reach homeownership.
• Lighthouse: $10,000 match to sustain the financial coaches at its Center for Working Families, who offer one-on-one guidance on budgeting, savings, credit and homeownership.
• Detroit Friendship House: $10,000 match to keep fresh, culturally familiar foods on the shelves of its Hamtramck client-choice pantry and to expand job-readiness services through Pathways to Growth.
• Make Food Not Waste: $15,000 match for its Upcycling Kitchen, which turns surplus food into chef-prepared meals for Metro Detroit residents facing food insecurity and keeps edible food out of landfills.
• Humble Design Detroit: $10,000 match to fully furnish two homes for single mothers and their children leaving homelessness, with roughly $10,000 in furniture and household essentials per home.

What you can do with this

If you live in the Detroit area, these six groups are a ready-made shortlist for your own giving or volunteering. Pantries need food and drivers, coaching programs need referrals, and Humble Design needs furnishings. If you or someone you know is trying to buy a home, build a budget or find groceries, Wayne Metro, Lighthouse and Detroit Friendship House are good places to start. And if you run a local nonprofit, watch for the Foundation’s next grant cycle.