Tag: poverty

Meet Kim: Poverty Education Director

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 to connect with people, and is thrilled to be in this role where she can help others understand the impact poverty has in our community and the steps we can take to make a difference. The Poverty Education Workshops inform participants about the intricate realities of […]

Access’ Food Justice Training unites community toward common goal

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 together to work toward food security. Organizations represented included United Church Outreach Ministries, World Renew, United Way, Hope Farms, Kids’ Food Basket and many others. The morning began with a presentation on the definitions of food justice, food security and environmental sustainability. Jeff Smith from the […]

40th Hunger Walk isn’t this participant’s first time around the block

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 insecurity our communities. As an avid movie buff and leader in the community through the Jewish Film Festival and Cultural Council, he encourages others to get involved in social action. Zukerman has lived in Grand Rapids his entire life, except for some time in Florida. […]

Face the Facts: Senior Poverty

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 78-year old woman come to mind? According to Feeding America, 9 percent of the population 65 and older, 4.6 million adults, lived below the poverty line in 2015. This population can face harsh difficulties in their post-employment age of relying on savings and federal assistance. […]

Face the Facts: Housing

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 things to your wish list of what your house good be like. Yet a home is more than just a building with rooms. It’s a representation of a life. And it also affects your health. The National Center for Healthy Housing names housing as a […]

Face the Facts: SNAP Benefits

Myth: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has become inefficient and is too often abused. Truth:  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 be sufficient to cover all necessary expenses, especially healthy groceries. With SNAP, an elderly woman can savor a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day. Using food benefits, a single mother can delight in buying her young son a bag of sweet, fresh […]

Poverty Simulation Staffers make the workshops happen

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 and collaboration. The goal in these seminars is to bring awareness of the realities of poverty and to encourage people to get involved. The “Living on the Edge” poverty simulation provides an opportunity for participants to walk in the shoes of someone living in a […]