Power of We AmeriCorps Improves Healthy Food Access In Ingham County  

At the NorthWest Initiative, a nonprofit organization which serves residents in Lansing's northwest neighborhoods, the presence of a full-time Power of We AmeriCorps member has been instrumental in increasing their capacity to serve the community. With the assistance of their AmeriCorps member, the NorthWest Initiative was able to supply 168 percent more food to area residents in 2010-2011, with only a 16.5 percent increase in program expenses. This success is partially a result of the installation of two new community gardens, which were developed under the leadership of their AmeriCorps member. In addition to supporting the community gardens, the Power of We AmeriCorps member at the Northwest Initiative helped to coordinate food distributions that fed 31 families on an ongoing basis, and assisted with the Lansing Schools' Summer Food Program for low-income students.

To assist families living on the south-side of Lansing in accessing healthy foods, an additional Power of We AmeriCorps member has been placed at the South Lansing Community Development Association. The member at this location helps to provide healthy food to area residents through the use of four community gardens. Each site contains community plots for residents, as well as donation beds for neighborhood members in need.  By garnering donations for plants, educating community members on gardening, and facilitating volunteer maintenance efforts, the Power of We AmeriCorps member ensures each community garden is productive at supplying area residents with fresh, healthy foods. The AmeriCorps member is also responsible for ensuring produce from the donation plots is delivered to local pantries and soup kitchens and has been instrumental in assembling community support for the construction of a hoop house, which will greatly extend the growing season.   

Community Food Network Uses Volunteers to Fight Hunger

 The Community Food Network is a collaborative partnership in Montcalm and Ionia Counties which focuses on solving the community issues of poor nutrition and hunger. Through the growth and expansion of community gardens, members of the Community Food Network provide local food distribution systems with healthy, fresh foods for low-income families in need.    

The fresh fruits and vegetables grown in local community gardens are maintained strictly by volunteers. Volunteers are also used to collect and deliver the produce, which is distributed to families in need through local food pantries, soup kitchens, and other distribution resources. In 2011, volunteers in Montcalm and Ionia Counties contributed nearly 1,100 hours in community gardens and provided more than 19,000 pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries.        

A critical partner in the Community Food Network is the United Way of Montcalm-Ionia County Volunteer Connections, a volunteer center which connects Community Food Network agencies with volunteers to support each garden. For the past two program years, United Way of Montcalm-Ionia County Volunteer Connections has received national service funding in the form of a Volunteer Generation Fund grant from the MCSC. This grant has helped the organization to learn, develop, and implement a series of volunteer engagement strategies, including the HandsOn Connect volunteer management technology.  

As a result of the Volunteer Generation Fund grant, United Way of Montcalm-Ionia County Volunteer Connections has been able to assist the diverse group of partners and community volunteers in generating a model of collaboration to meet the immediate need to provide fresh healthy food to those in need. In addition, the Volunteer Generation Fund grant has allowed the organization to develop and lead a strategic plan to address several areas surrounding nutrition, education, and healthy eating choices, as they expand on the community garden model of addressing local needs through volunteers.

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Ending Hunger and Poor Nutrition Through Education 

One issue of primary importance to the organization is enabling nutritious and healthy diets by teaching people to cook from scratch, utilizing the products supplied by local, small-scale farmers. These farmers provide an abundant supply of fresh and nutritious food to impoverished communities which often have trouble accessing healthy food options. Through their After School programs, SEEDS provides culinary education at 10 school partner sites to teach young adults how to prepare a nutritious and healthy meal themselves. Each of the schools were chosen based on their high rates of regional and generational poverty.

In addition to their own unique programs, SEEDS also began to partner recently with Gleaners Food Bank through their Cooking Matters program. The Cooking Matters program utilizes an all-volunteer team of chefs and nutritionists to teach teens and families how to prepare and shop for healthy meals. By teaching students how to shop for and prepare healthy meals, the SEEDS Cooking Matters  program is providing both short- and long-term solutions to hunger and poverty issues in northern Michigan.

During the first three months of 2012, SEEDS has already provided more than 2,000 contact hours of culinary and food education.

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