Kim Starks joined Access’ team in August as our Poverty Education Director. She jumped right in and already has been a part of multiple workshops across Kent County and beyond! Kim is an upbeat, passionate team member who comes with a background in the financial service industry and experience as a ministry trainer. She loves…
Cultivating solutions to food insecurity is far from a single-organization job. It requires a community of activists for the good food system. On Tuesday, April 11, Access of West Michigan hosted the Food Justice Training event to promote greater awareness of “good food system” values. In attendance were 45 members and leaders of local organizations working…
What makes food “goodâ€? It may be taste. If you have a sweet tooth, maybe you’d consider a decadent layered chocolate cake with fluffy whipped frosting “goodâ€. Or for the savory side, a bowl of soup that has a harmony of seasonings and flavors singing out. That sounds good. Or based on presentation. They say…
Mort Zukerman is one of the many participants in Access of West Michigan’s 40th Annual Hunger Walk. Although, this isn’t his first time. Or second. Zukerman has been walking with and recruiting for the Hunger Walk for 37 years! Since the 1980s, Zukerman, 68, has been participating and encouraging others to raise awareness of food…
Myth: Social security takes care of the senior population Fact: 9 percent of seniors live below the poverty line. Ask an average person to describe someone in poverty, many faces may arise: a young child, a single working mom with a house full of kids, or an unemployed 20-year-old high school dropout. But does an…
Myth: A house is all about the aesthetics. Truth: Where you live is an indicator of health. Turn on the TV station HGTV and you’ll get many ideas of what paint colors go together, how to furnish a living room and what color backsplash to add to your new granite counter tops. Or just add…
Myth: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has become inefficient and is too often abused. Truth: Â SNAP provides 1 out of 7 Americans with a healthy and sustainable food source. For many families living in poverty, putting food on the table is often a difficult struggle. Even if they are working, their wages may not…
Myth: People can find healthy foods anywhere they live Fact: 30 million Americans lack access to a supermarket within one mile of their home For millions of Americans, biting into a sweet, tasty carrot is not possible every day. Licking the fresh watermelon juice from your chin is only a special treat. In an abundance…
Our staffers are important here at Access of West Michigan. In preparation for an upcoming Poverty Simulation, volunteer staffers Mary, Cindy, Tom and Rhoeda are busy at work compiling participant packets and organizing materials. The Poverty Simulation is just one of many programs at Access of West Michigan to create solutions to poverty through education…