Election season is in full swing across Michigan and I know many of you are already tired of the brand of politics that includes name calling, endless mailings and lots of bickering. But our unique America political process offers us the opportunity to influence policy, priorities and the people who want to govern even before they are elected.

Anna Alamaza, director of policy for the Food Bank Council of Michigan, a Lansing insider who is leading our work of influencing the candidates currently running and also current state and federal policies that are effecting our work today. This is Anna’s first time on FFM and we are sure it won’t be her last.

August 28, 2022 - Food for Thought

August 28, 2022 - Monologue

Control the controllable is a sentence I utter to myself quite often. I am often frustrated with others in the manner by which they go about their business, work and responsibilities – especially when it impacts my ability to do my work with excellence. Coach Bill Belichick said, “What we can control is our performance and our execution, and that’s what we are going to focus on.” We can’t control inflation but we can strive to get people the food they want and need. We can’t control the price of gas, but we can do our job with excellence so people struggling with food insecurity have one less tradeoff to deal with at home. We cannot control what the government does or doesn’t, but we can lobby, advocate, encourage, inspire and hold accountable those who have the responsibility to operate the programs designed to help our residents with the challenge of living a food insecure life. What we can do is put and keep food first folks, food first.

August 21, 2022 - Food for Thought

August 21, 2022 - Monologue

Truth is describe as the only thing with the ability to set us free. The state of emergency food, our current challenges, who is helping, who isn’t and what our network is doing about the current conditions on this edition of Food First MI.

August 14, 2022 - Food for Thought

August 14, 2022 - Monologue

The MPC22 conference on Mackinac Island is a place and event where any conversation can happen and often does. This show knows the potential that can happen when you change the conversation. You change and your connections, culture and conclusion can all change. That is the power of conversations, particularly on Mackinac at the Detroit Chamber Policy Conference.

This week hear from Garrick Rochow, CEO of Consumers, AG Dana Nessel, Lew Roubal from Depart of Health/Human Services and a newcomer to our world but full of life and passion for the work our friend Yasmeen Jasey from Citizens Bank. All four from varied background and all have a hunger to see food security created statewide.