Food First

The level of childhood food insecurity was unacceptable prior to the pandemic, and is absolutely disturbing now. The number of food insecure children in Michiganhas almost doubled since March. In early March, there were approximately 300,000 food insecure children living in our state, now there are more than 600,000. How do we know this? We know this because of the life work of our guest, Dr. Craig Gundersen. Dr. Gundersen is an ACES Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign as well as the creator and researcher of Map the Meal Gap (MTMG). Map the Meal Gap is one of the primary tools used by the Feeding America network to understand who is food insecure in our nation and in our state.

To view the 2020 food insecurity projections, visit: https://www.feedingamericaaction.org/the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-food-insecurity/

We are grateful for Dr. Gundersen’s work and how he is choosing to invest his one handful of life. His work concentrates on the causes and consequences of food insecurity and the evaluation of food assistance programs with an emphasis on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).

Food insecurity is the leading healthcare crisis in terms of nutrition in our country. Serious healthcare costs associated with food insecurity are estimated to cost the nation $600 billion (this estimation accounts just for adults). Also covered in Sunday’s edition of Food First is a discussion on Gleaners Community Food Bank’s studies on the impact of food insecurity on education as well as the impact of delivering groceries to families while schools are closed.

If we want to make systemic change within our work, we must focus on and support those with disabilities (physical, mental and emotional), support our food bank network, and expand SNAP eligibility requirements while increasing benefit amounts.

Who needs help? How much help do they need? And, for how long? We must provide insight, understanding, knowledge and eventually wisdom in order to create solutions. While doing so, we must keep #FOODFIRST!

Who wins when we win? Families, education, businesses, and healthcare. Who loses when we lose? All of the same people, groups, and communities.

Hunger is expensive and is estimated to cost the economy BILLIONS in tax revenue and BILLIONS more in programming. The biggest toll is lost potential - including each child who never develops mentally, physically, and emotionally due to the lack of access to healthy and nutritious food.

Tune in this evening at 9 p.m. with Dr. Phil and Gerry Brisson, CEO and President of @Gleaners community Food Bank to hear from an astounding thought leader, Dr. Delicia Pruitt, MD., the Medical Director for the Saginaw County Health Department, a practicing physician, and a member of Governor Whitmer’s Food Security Council. Dr. Pruitt understands the cost doing something and doing nothing regarding food security.

Food insecurity played a role in Dr. Pruitt’s life before it became part of her career. Her father began medical school later in life which limited their 10 person household to one income. As a single income household, Dr. Pruitt’s family experienced the unpredictability of food insecurity. . Her family fought through and achieved their goals. Eleven years later they began practicing medicine TOGETHER and not long after that they opened a practice together. Their story is inspirational.

Dr. Pruitt is one of the many who are making a different to the seemingly insurmountable problem of food security. She will do the next thing until she can’t do anymore. She is making a difference and so are we. Let’s continue to make to a difference by keeping #FOODFIRST!

People are an organization’s greatest and most appreciable asset.

Tune in this evening with Dr. Phil, Gerry Brisson, President and CEO of @gleaners community food bank and Dr. Dawn Opel, Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives for the @food bank council of Michigan. Dawn is one of FBCM’s most appreciated and appreciable assets. She wears many hats, most recently, she became licensed to practice law in Michigan and now serves as FBCM’s General Counsel.

You aren’t capable of change if you continue to do the same thing over and over. Ergo, Dawn. In our network, a strategic initiative is any work that innovates the work of food banking. Social innovation, building new systems, and creating partnerships across sectors to further the mission and improve the health and well-being of Michiganders.

Phil, Gerry and Dawn delve into our new pilot, a Text-Based Platform, the purpose of data, and the far-reaching implications of food banking we are capable of. The Text-Based platform collects the client’s registration and check-in information at mobile food distributions. Coming to a distribution is a vulnerable time for people and we want them to feel safe, secure and dignified. We want people to who are need to feel more, not less. We want to give them a hand up, not a handout. When you see a client at a food distribution do not see a person in need, anyone can see that. See someone worthy of investing in. Look longer and see past their immediate problems and see their potential.

Most of us want to make a difference in the world, do big things and make an impact. If you want to truly add value, you must intentionally invest your one handful of life in things that are bigger than you are and will last longer than you do.

At the Food Bank Council of Michigan, we know that elections MATTER!

According to recent data, food insecurity rates have gotten far worse these past few months due to the pandemic. The need is great. Winter is coming and the food supply is lessening from the USDA. If Congress and our legislature do not co-create an emergency declaration of additional support for emergency food, increase in SNAP allotments and P-EBT, this winter will be long and cold.

Tune in this evening at 9 p.m. as Carrie Calvert, Vice President of Government Relations with Feeding America, defines the new reality. The people we serve at or on the edge of making ends meet and have been for quite some time. The Michigan food bank network is now distributing almost 50% more food to hungry Michiganders each week. At this time of unprecedented need, United States Department of Agriculture programs that provide much needed food and support for our network are ending, resulting in a 50% reduction in USDA food for our network to distribute. It’s hard to imagine waiting until January for additional relief – millions of people aren’t back at work, the COVID-19 cases are rising as well as food insecurity.

We are asking USDA to proactively purchase any U.S. grown / produced commodity to provide market support during this stressful time for our nation’s growers and producers, and in turn, distribute it through the food banks.

Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, has a painting of a red barn in his office with, “Do right and feed EVERYBODY” written on it. We have high hopes that he continues to act in the spirit of that statement, and makes the right choices to support farmers, growers and the food bank network to distribute this food.

COVID-19 has dealt us a tough blow; more food insecure children, seniors and families than we have seen in a long time. We have been set back, but forward we march. WE FIGHT ON!

As always, help us keep #FOODFIRST!

“Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” - St. Francis

We need YOUR help to do the impossible. During COVID-19, the Michigan food bank network has been distributing an average of 4.5 million pounds of food per week. We are projecting the need to increase by 15% this winter, equating to 667,000 MORE pounds of food per week. The harsher weather and the long tail of the pandemic will certainly result in more challenges for the families we serve and our network. We Michiganders have grit, but the need is great!

Tune in this evening at 9 p.m. on @WJR radio to hear from the co-founder of the Michigan Harvest Gathering and Michigan’s 53rd Attorney General Bill Schuette. Bill and his wife Cynthia created the Michigan Harvest Gathering 30 years ago. The Michigan Harvest Gathering is an annual statewide campaign that raises food and funds for Michigan’s emergency food response. Within these 30 years we have raised $10,943,211 and collected 12,456,858 pounds of food, equating to 93,319,680 meals for our hungry neighbors. Our NEW interactive website allows community members to shop virtually for our network’s most needed items or make a general donation to MHG. There is a food gap and YOU can help is fill it at FeedMichigan.org.

Help hungry Michiganders weather this storm by keeping #FOODFIRST.

Vision is the idea of a better tomorrow.

During COVID-19, we have learned a lot about ourselves, our work and our impact. We have had abundant resources flow to our state in the form of food assistance with SNAP, Pandemic-EBT, unemployment benefits, school meals changing their models to grab-and-go, and our network distributing almost 5 million pounds of food each week. We have adapted and will continue to do so to help feed our hungry neighbors.

Tune in this evening to hear from Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President and CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank and Alex Canepa, State Policy Manager of Fair Food Network and a member of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Food Security Council. Alex is a thought leader and using his one handful of life to build out his vision of food security; a vision where farmers and those who work around agriculture and food processing, are able to generate community-level wealth.

While we live in one of the wealthiest places on Earth, a large percentage of our children are food insecure. We must figure out how to unlock the food chain enabling everyone, not just some, to access healthy and nutritious foods. We know our work has no value if we distribute food that people won’t eat; people need to be eating the food that they receive as well as enjoy it.

Change is part of existence – be the change you wish to see in the world. We are imperfect people, doing meaningful work with a vision of a better tomorrow.

Phil, Gerry, President and CEO of @gleaners community food bank, and the rest of the Michigan food bank network, have been changing the conversation and building a movement about food security for three years now. Tune in this evening on @wjr radio or News Talk 760 AM at 9 p.m. to hear what it will take for Michigan to go to the next level of effectiveness to create a food secure state; there are 5 levels and they are impactful.

Gerry’s mantra has always been, “You will never solve a problem that you do not think can be solved.” It makes complete sense; if you do not think you can complete something – what gives you the drive to do so? The Michigan food bank network believes that food security CAN be solved; do YOU? Here are five key components of moving Michigan to the next level of food security:

1. Food Waste: There is approximately 72 BILLION lbs. of food that is wasted per year – nationally, food banks capture 5 billion of those pounds. What if we captured 5 billion more pounds?

2. Feed the whole family: Grocery pick-up – families would have the OPTION to choose food that their family actually enjoys, which in turn, creates LESS food waste.

3. New sources of sustainable funding

4. Investment in a sustainable team

5. Healthcare: The better we take care of ourselves, the less costly healthcare is for EVERYONE!

NOTHING of significance happens ALONE! To go to the next level in any pursuit, there will be a price to be paid, a sacrifice to be given, a willingness that has to be shared. Join us by helping us KEEP FOOD FIRST!

Amid the pandemic, we have all been more cognizant about where our food comes from and if there will be enough. The food insecure struggle with these thoughts all the time. As we often say, when you’re hungry, you only have ONE problem.

This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Carl Bednarski, President of Michigan Farm Bureau for the 3rd and final part of the Intersection of Health Disparities and Food Security series.

The Farm Bureau Family of Companies which includes Michigan Farm Bureau, Farm Bureau Insurance and its nearly 450 agents across the state, are all committed to finding solutions to end food insecurity and have been coming alongside of the food bank network for nine years. Food security is a passion, not a hobby, for the Farm Bureau Family of Companies.

They are community-centered, a backbone for their fellow Michiganders, and a company of purpose. Due to restaurants taking the brunt of COVID-19, they wanted to act; ergo, the “Helping Hands Program”. As a result of the pandemic people were driving less and there were less accidents which in turn saved Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan money; they chose to give those savings back to their communities. Agents identified restaurants in their own communities that were struggling to make ends meet and Family of companies donated $4,000 to each restaurant and asked them to support the “Helping Hands Program". They then gave their members $25 vouchers to spend at each restaurant. If the restaurants surpassed the $4,000, Farm Bureau Family of Companies encouraged them to send over the remainder of the bill. During these unprecedented times, this family of companies are doing unprecedented things to shine a light on their neighbors. They also stepped in and stepped up with the “Million Meal Challenge” at the beginning of the pandemic, raising $183,000 to provide 1.1 million meals to Michigan residents. They are the sponsor of Food First and are dedicated to being at the table and changing the conversation about food security.

Everything rises and falls on leadership, but nothing truly changes without relationships. We are grateful for the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies – they believed in us early and they continue to support our mission to create a food secure state.

Be sure to hug a farmer because solving hunger starts in the field. And, as always, FOOD FIRST!

"Health CANNOT be a question of income; it is a fundamental human right." Nelson Mandela

No parent should have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table for their children. But, sadly they do. No one should be go hungry in the most 2nd agriculturally diverse state. But, sadly they do. Racial and health disparities are tightly interwoven with the lack of access to high quality healthcare and food insecurity.

Join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank and Dr. Robert Bouvier, MD. who is an Internal Medicine Specialist in Flint, MI as they discuss how to be a part of the solution, not the problem. This is Part II of a III part series about the intersection of health disparities and food security. Tune in at 10:00 PM on WJR Radio or NewsTalk 760 AM.

“Food First” has been Dr. Bouvier's battle-cry for years, so much that it inspired the meaning behind this show. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (HON) food is one of the most important basic needs along with sleep and water. The HON is so fundamental in understanding ourselves and our needs that at some point virtually every other theory of social development attaches itself to Maslow.

If we take hunger OFF the table and meet the primary need of food security, our society changes for the positive! We do this by PUTTING and KEEPING FOOD FIRST!

#FoodSecurity

#MoreFoodMoreOften2MorePeople

#FoodFirst

Hippocrates said it best, ”Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank and Laurie Solotorow, Director of Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles of Michigan Health Endowment Fund! This is Part I of a 3 part series about the intersection of health disparities and food security. Tune in at 9:00 PM on WJR Radio NewsTalk 760 AM - you won't want to miss out!

Laurie and MHEF have come alongside of us for many of our pilots and projects throughout the years and is doing so once again; we are grateful for her passion in our mission. MHEF is funding a 2 year project that aims to improve the cost effectiveness of a food prescription program to free clinics in Michigan! The

“big picture”behind this grant is “how can payers recognize that FOOD is MEDICINE?” Simple right?. This puzzle can be solved, we just have to put all the pieces together correctly.

Laurie understands food insecurity because she has witnessed it. Once you come face-to-face with a hungry child, it changes your life. It inspired her to use her one handful of life to make sure hunger comes off the table. Our work is hard, but deeply rooted her wonderful heart and soul.

“We MUST be the CHANGE we wish to see in the world.” Gandhi. The change is up to us - no one else!

As always, FOOD FIRST, folks!