Media
A collection & resource of media references to – and coverage of – Access of West Michigan.
Grand Rapids agriculture project will upgrade parks across the city
by: A.J. Evans
Posted: Apr 29, 2026 / 11:59 AM EDT
Updated: Apr 29, 2026 / 03:39 PM EDT
“We’re thrilled to have Access of West Michigan and Jade Rabbit as our first partners in this new project,” parks superintendent Joe Sulak said in a statement. “The Urban Agriculture Project provides a unique way for neighbors to use City park land for agriculture with groups that have strong, community-focused ideas to improve food access and more.”
City Commission approves Urban Agriculture Project partners for first round of funding
– April 29, 2026
Parks and Recreation
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids City Commission approved the first awards for its new Urban Agriculture Project, giving $150,000 total to Access of West Michigan and Jade Rabbit to expand community-based agriculture in city parks.
Access of West Michigan ($67,000): Will develop raised garden beds, an herb garden, orchard, and native plant garden at Joe Taylor Park, along with education on gardening and healthy food.
Jade Rabbit ($83,000): Will upgrade and expand agriculture efforts at Garfield Park and Martin Luther King Park, including infrastructure, education, and food distribution.
The program, led by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, focuses on improving food access, environmental sustainability, and neighborhood connection, with another round of funding expected this fall.
Read more here
WGVU Pubic Media: Poverty simulation event aims to foster empathy, impact change
…Nonprofit Access of West Michigan also conducted a Poverty Education Workshop to help attendees gain a deeper understanding of the realities faced by ALICE households.
Participants role-played as various ALICE individuals and families, given bills, paper money, and challenging situations with limited resources.
“So you’re living one month as a family in poverty, and the goal is to make it through the workshop without losing your home, making sure the kids are fed, without losing your job.”
Read More on WGVU News . . .
KnownProfits: Access of West Michigan | Gratia Lee & Satorie Spicer
In this episode, we sit down with Gratia Lee and Satorie Spicer from Access of West Michigan, a nonprofit dedicated to building a community where all people have access to healthy food and economic opportunity.
Gratia and Satorie share how Access is addressing food insecurity and poverty through collaborative partnerships, poverty education simulators, innovative food systems work, and programs that equip individuals and communities for long-term change. From supporting local food pantries and farm-to-pantry initiatives to advocating for systemic solutions, Access is helping West Michigan move toward a more just and sustainable food future.
Hear More on the Known Profits Facebook page…
RG Community Connect: Collaboration is key in working toward a more just food system in Kent County
The article highlights efforts in Kent County, Michigan, to strengthen the local food system through collaboration and long-term planning. Led by the newly formed Kent County Food Policy Council, the community is conducting a food system assessment to better understand local challenges and opportunities. Leaders like Janelle Vandergrift and Wende Randall emphasize the need to balance immediate hunger relief with systemic change, supporting grassroots networks and small businesses. Programs like Access of West Michigan’s “Refresh Now” showcase innovative approaches to food justice, using fresh produce prescriptions to address health disparities and promote culturally relevant nutrition.
Read More on Rapid Growth . . .
GRMAG: Reimagining Food Assistance
Access of West Michigan is an umbrella organization whose mandate is to develop and strengthen holistic solutions to poverty.
“We’ve studied a lot of work on food systems from across the nation and thought about what it could look like in our community and how we can align with best practices,” Access co-director Emma Garcia said. “We aren’t saying our food systems are bad; we’re saying food systems can be reimagined.”
Read More on GRMag.org . . .
GRMAG: A better food system
“One of the larger players in the food systems arena is Access of West Michigan, which cultivates system changes to promote a thriving food community for all people. Access’s Good Food Systems initiative addresses food access, health and justice through piloting affordable retail food markets (called Fresh Markets) and vegetable prescription programs at local nonprofits and clinics. In addition, Access houses a Pantry Resource Center network and helps those organizations move toward more innovative, just and equitable neighborhood-based food solutions (visit accessofwestmichigan.org).”
Read More on GRMag.org . . .
Radio Interview: Inside Access of West Michigan’s Food Equity Mission
Erin Skidmore, our Good Food Systems director here at Access of West Michigan featured in a radio interview with WGVU News to spread awareness regarding our food equity mission. We are working alongside local organizations to transform food systems reflective of our Good Food values. Listen in to hear Erin talk more about the approach Access is taking to create long-term change in our community.
Hear More on WGVUnews.org . . .
Annual ‘Walk for Good Food’ event works to achieve an equitable food system in West Michigan
Access Walk for Good Food event works raises funds for 14 West Michigan nonprofits. Wednesday (May 12) wraps up the annual Access Walk for Good Food event. It’s a West Michigan tradition that’s been around for more than four decades.
The 10-day walk officially kicked off May 2 and runs through today. Alaina Dobkowski, Walk For Good Food director, says what was typically a one-day 5K temporarily changed last year, due to COVID.
Read More on WZZM . . .
Rapid Growth Media Op-Ed & Radio Interview
Erin Skidmore, Good Food Systems Director published an Op-Ed in Rapid Growth Media, “Published Together: Interrupting a System of Emergency with a System of Injustice.” Learn how the history of our charity food system has influenced where we are today and how we can work to make long term, systemic change. Then, listen in on a conversation between Rapid Growth Media’s Publisher Tommy Allen and Erin chat more about these topics on the WGVU Morning Show with Shelley Irwin.
Read More from the Op-Ed article. | Listen To the Radio Interview
WZZM 13 Highlights
Access of West Michigan has their sights set on transforming West Michigan’s food system. Partnering with local farmers and communities, the organization works to keep the farming industry strong to provide healthy, affordable food.
Highlight: Access and Good Food Systems
Highlight: Long Term Investments
Ruminate Podcast featuring McKenzie Jackson, Access Good Food Systems Manager
In this episode, McKenzie Jackson (Program Manager for the Good Food Systems Initiative) teaches about toxic charity models, the difference between perceived and actual need, and how social good projects that feel good aren’t necessarily the ones that have the most impact.
Walk for Good Food on Fox 17
Access West Michigan has kicked off a community-wide initiative to raise funds for non-profits assisting families in poverty or facing food insecurity. Walk For Good Food is an annual event, however due to the governor’s stay at home order, the community is encouraged to walk on their own practicing social distancing.
Rapid Growth Media Article on Walk for Good Food
Over the past 42 years, the Access of West Michigan Walk for Good has raised more than $6 million for dozens of local and international nonprofits addressing hunger and food insecurity. This year, the Walk is funding eight local organizations that are working hard to improve access to healthy foods and diminish other impacts of poverty.
The Rapidian: When Crisis Mode Becomes the Norm
As the global pandemic hit our local community, food access organizations that existed before COVID-19, and those that started due to COVID-19, have worked to respond to the lack of access to food heightened by the virus and its economic impacts.
Rapid Growth Media Op-Ed & Radio Interview
Erin Skidmore, Good Food Systems Director published an Op-Ed in Rapid Growth Media, “Published Together: Interrupting a System of Emergency with a System of Injustice.” Learn how the history of our charity food system has influenced where we are today and how we can work to make long term, systemic change. Then, listen in on a conversation between Rapid Growth Media’s Publisher Tommy Allen and Erin chat more about these topics on the WGVU Morning Show with Shelley Irwin.