GRAND RAPIDS -- As confusion surrounding SNAP benefits continues, community leaders in Grand Rapids are stepping up to the plate.

Kirel Shaw, also known as StreetChefShaw, took to social media on Wednesday, Nov. 5, announcing that he’ll be serving free meals at his restaurant, Mizizi, every Sunday in November.

Giving back to the community has been a key part of the African fusion restaurant’s business model since Shaw opened it in 2020.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he handed out free plates to those in need.

Every year since, he’s renewed the tradition, whether it was in celebration of the restaurant’s five-year anniversary or to provide for those whose SNAP benefits are at risk in the midst of a federal government shutdown.

On Sunday, Nov. 9, Shaw’s mother and girlfriend bagge

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