Category: Blog

Invest Health California Reflection

By Gratia Lee, Access of West Michigan Good Systems Food Director Access of West Michigan Good Systems Food Director Travels To Riverside, CA for Invest Health Initiative.  Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Riverside, CA as part of the Invest Health Initiative, a project of Reinvestment Fund, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. I went as a part of the food systems team, to learn about what changes to the local food system the folks in Riverside have been able to make and are working on as part of this project. Together with teams from Tallahassee, […]

Press Release: Access of West Michigan Moves Forward with New Leadership Team

Access of West Michigan Moves Forward with New Leadership Team FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  This past spring Access of West Michigan launched a new four-person, Co-Executive Director Team. This team is composed of Christina Swiney, Co-Executive Director of Operations; McKenzie VanPatten, Co-Executive Director of Programs; Nikeyia Perkins, Co-Executive Director of Engagement; and Alaina Dobkowski, Co-Executive Director of Advancement.    Access of West Michigan’s mission is to strengthen and develop wholistic solutions to poverty by cultivating equitable systems through education and collaboration, with the values of collaboration, anti-racism, and shared leadership at the forefront, Access has been utilizing a co-leadership model for […]

Thank you, Wolthuis Group!

Get to know the Wolthuis Group!  We are so thankful for their Harvest Level Sponsorship and generous support.  Mission Statement: We Help Businesses Answer the Question, “Are We Doing IT Right?” We’re technology experts with an entrepreneur’s problem-solving spirit. That’s why so many business leaders choose Wolthuis Group to make their IT easy, efficient and nearly invisible. We’ve been fortunate to be able to continue to help businesses thrive even in these uncertain times by ensuring they receive the support they need whether on-site or remotely. We’ve helped them continue to keep operations running smoothly. Why did you decide to […]

Re-thinking Holiday Giving

We are entering the holiday season and everything that comes with it- traditions, family gatherings, special worship services, and the biggest season of giving of the year.  Recently our Good Food Team partnered with the Congregation Connections Team to host a Lunch ‘n Learn, focusing in on Understanding Food Access and what that looks like this time of year in particular. Historically our charitable food system has perpetuated many inequities in black and brown communities through programs, acts of “kindness”, and holiday giving (for example, food and toy drives). The intent has been good, but these activities detract from opportunities […]

Juneteenth 2021

JUNETEENTH EVENTS, RESOURCES, AND CELEBRATIONS  This week we are celebrating Juneteenth, and Access will be taking a day off to commemorate this important historical day and holiday.  “Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.  Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation â€“ which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to […]

Walk for Good Food 2021: Trinity United Methodist Church

This post is part of a series of interviews of recipient agencies for the Access of West Michigan 2021 Walk for Good Food. This year, we have 13 in total, each with their own role in creating a thriving Good Food system in West Michigan. Read below to see why Good Food is important to their work, and check out our website at accessofwestmichigan.org/walk to learn more or to walk with us! AWM: how would you describe your organization — what is your mission and what work do you do towards that mission?   TUMC: The Community Ministries Program at […]

Walk for Good Food 2021: Revive and Thrive Project

This post is part of a series of interviews of recipient agencies for the Access of West Michigan 2021 Walk for Good Food. This year, we have 13 in total, each with their own role in creating a thriving Good Food system in West Michigan. Read below to see why Good Food is important to their work, and check out our website at accessofwestmichigan.org/walk to learn more or to walk with us! AWM: how would you describe your organization — what is your mission and what work do you do towards that mission?   R&T: The Revive and Thrive Project […]

Thank you SpartanNash for being a Harvester Sponsors of the Walk for Good Food!

We interviewed our Harvester and Grower sponsors to learn more about who they are and why they believe investing in a good food system is important. Thank you to all our sponsors of the Walk for Good Food for their investment in a good food system for all! Please describe your company/organization’s mission and role in our community.  SpartanNash is a Fortune 400 grocery retailer and distributor. We own and operate D&W Fresh Market, Forest Hills Foods, Family Fare and Ada Fresh Market supermarkets in West Michigan. Our vision is to have a best-in-class business that feels local, where relationships matter.   We […]

Walk for Good Food 2021: Our Kitchen Table

This post is part of a series of interviews of recipient agencies for the Access of West Michigan 2021 Walk for Good Food. This year, we have 13 in total, each with their own role in creating a thriving Good Food system in West Michigan. Read below to see why Good Food is important to their work, and check out our website at accessofwestmichigan.org/walk to learn more or to walk with us! AWM: how would you describe your organization — what is your mission and what work do you do towards that mission?   OKT: A grassroots, nonprofit organization serving […]

Walk for Good Food 2021: St. Alphonsus Food and Clothing Center

This post is part of a series of interviews of recipient agencies for the Access of West Michigan 2021 Walk for Good Food. This year, we have 13 in total, each with their own role in creating a thriving Good Food system in West Michigan. Read below to see why Good Food is important to their work, and check out our website at accessofwestmichigan.org/walk to learn more or to walk with us! AWM: how would you describe your organization — what is your mission and what work do you do towards that mission?   St. Al’s:It is the mission of […]