In 2023, we provided 7,326 meals on Sundays to individuals in need.

People Helping People

People Helping People was created to ensure that no one in our Mt. Pleasant community goes hungry on Sundays when free meals aren’t available anywhere else.

The initiative started on January 31, 2016 when then owner, Tim Brockman, had learned that the soup kitchen was closed on Sunday and those in need of a meal had nowhere to turn. After discussions internally at the deli, we together decided to make a difference and created PHP. Anyone can go to the Isabella County Soup Kitchen throughout the week and receive a coupon for a free meal at Max & Emily’s for the upcoming Sunday. While the meal changes from season to season, every guest has a well balanced meal including a delicious sandwich, soup or salad, chips, fruit, and more.  

Through our time developing the program, we would come to learn that while there is a homeless population in our community, they are not the main recipient of our program. It is the working poor—the family of 3 who has to choose between putting gas in their car for work or eating on Sunday, the young student who just lost their job and can’t afford to eat. This is wrong to us, and we want to be the change we seek in the world.

After eight years of PHP, we are proud of our work to make the world better, one sandwich at a time. We are now serving over 7,000 meals a year to those in need and the relationships that we have built are memories that we cherish. So, thank you Pat, Jim, Kathy, Bill, Billy, Tom and everyone who comes down on Sunday to get a meal. We love you and will always be here for you.  

PHP is funded by Max & Emily’s, The Brockman Family, The Walton Family, The Johnson Family Trust, and numerous humans that believe in what we are doing.  If you would like to contribute financially to our program, please give us a call or stop down to the deli and talk with Elmo or Jared.