Building Resilient Communities and Food Equity: Ideas to Action to State Budget

The Challenge

Building Resilient Communities (BRC) is a pilot program at Groundwork that connects resources to community needs in northwest Michigan. Through small grants and staff consultation, we collaborate with food pantries, churches, farms, schools, and other community-focused sites to increase healthy food access. This program addresses food insecurity and food inequity in our communities.

The Impact

Support for our policy issue would increase the amount of healthy food available in every community in Michigan. It would increase investment in the regional food economy as well as provide support for emergency food providers, schools and community organizations that want to provide healthy food.  Programs like this need to be integrated into the legislature to support: farmers, food and nutrition security, transportation, food aggregation, and equitable and sustainable access to food.

As a result of participating in this roundtable participants will:

• Have a better understanding of yearly advocacy for programs that aren't permanent line items.

• Begin to develop a strategic advocacy effort around food equity and moving new programs into the Michigan legislature.

• Make connections to others who support the topic and want to stay involved.