A coalition of Southwest Michigan nonprofit organizations is banding together to attack the growing crisis of ‘Nutrition’ among our neighbors in the region. The Nutrition Exchange of Southwest Michigan will be a bridge between farmers and growers in the area and food pantries and other groups who supply food to the large number of ‘have-nots’ who need assistance in obtaining adequate and healthy food, especially fruit and vegetables.
A $200,000 grant from The Cook Plant Foundation will fund the launch of the Nutrition Exchange. Meals on Wheels of Southwest Michigan is the grant recipient and a lead partner in the project.
Lisa Cripps-Downey heads the Berrien Community Foundation, which oversees the use of the money:
“It’s about health and stability and the chance for every person to live well. But we know that every day across our community people face really difficult choices. They can be choosing between groceries and medication. They may choose between meals and paying the bills. And the people making those choices, those are real people. They’re parents who are skipping meals so that their kids can eat. They’re seniors who are stretching really limited budgets and making very hard choices. These are our friends who are just doing their best to get by.”
The new Nutrition Exchange is a county-wide network of food pantries, senior meal sites, and home-delivered meal programs working together to provide fresh, locally grown food to families, children, and seniors in need. By purchasing directly from local farmers, the Exchange will ensure access to healthier foods at these network sites while strengthening the economic resilience of the region’s growers. Cripps -Downey explained:
“We have a critical window of opportunity. We have a chance right now to design a regional food health ecosystem that really strengthens the health of our neighbors through improved access to high quality, nutrient dense food that is grown right here in Southwest Michigan. And at the same time, we can create new revenue streams and deeper community engagement for our hardworking farmers and ranchers who we all know are the cornerstone of community wellness.”
Hunger is widespread in Berrien County, where one in six adults and one in five children live in households that don’t always know where their next meal will come from.
“As an organization on the front lines of senior nutrition, we know how powerful it is when fresh, local produce reaches the people who need it most,” said Linda Tinsley, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Southwest Michigan. “This investment allows us to create the structure for pantries, meal sites, and home-delivered meal programs to work together, making healthy food more accessible for our neighbors while supporting the local farmers who make it possible.”
Lt. Mario Bledsoe of the Salvation Army in Benton Harbor is on the front lines of the battle to put better food, higher in nutritional value, on the tables of struggling families in Berrien and Van Buren counties. He said the challenge is a familiar one in our communities:
“Limited budgets and rising demand. Too often we must rely on the most affordable or shelf-stable foods. While these items fill bellies, they don’t always meet the needs of our neighbors living with conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and other health challenges. The requests we hear most often are for fresh foods, vegetables, lean proteins, dairy and healthier options. Without support, these are the very items that are most difficult for us to attain and maintain and stock. They are most expensive and they can spoil before we can get them to the people that need them the most. As a pantry leader and someone who grew up using a food pantry, it is heartbreaking to know exactly what our communities are longing for and not always having the means to provide it for them. We are deeply grateful for every bit of help that brings us closer to meeting those needs.”
The Cook Plant Foundation is stepping up to provide the funding the Nutrition Exchange needs to get started. Kelly Ferneau is the Chief Nuclear Officer at Cook and Executive Vice President of American Electric Power, which owns the plant.
“The Nutrition Exchange’s tagline says it best. ‘Local food, better health, connected communities.’ At the Cook Plant Foundation, we believe those words capture the heart of what community investment is all about. And we are proud to stand behind this effort. And I’m thrilled to be able to launch this amazing effort with a $200,000 donation to Meals on Wheels of Southwest Michigan to officially get this project underway!”
The Nutrition Exchange pilot project falls under the umbrella of the Southwest Michigan Food is Health Collaborative, convened by the Berrien Community Foundation (BCF). Meals on Wheels of Southwest Michigan is serving as the lead partner, with BCF and the Collaborative providing administrative support, technical assistance, and coordination. The Collaborative is a county-wide coalition of cross-sector partners — including healthcare providers, nonprofits, farmers, and community leaders — working together to build a food-health ecosystem that centers local agriculture as the foundation for community wellness
The Nutrition Exchange will begin with about six area farms involved, growing to a dozen eventually, utilizing 50,000 pounds of produce. Linda Tinsley of Meals On Wheels pointed out it will tie together the resources and needs of the agencies, their clients and the growers.
“The exchange makes local sourcing sustainable, not just for seniors, but for food pantries and meal programs across our entire community. What this means is simple but powerful. Our apples from our trees, our greens from our fields, and the tomatoes from our neighbors’ farms will consistently reach the tables of families, children, and seniors who need it most. And importantly, this isn’t about asking hard-working farmers for charity. It’s about honoring their expertise and labor by purchasing their products, ensuring fair value for what they grow and while improving their long-term economic viability.”
The Nutrition Exchange launches this fall as a pilot in Berrien County, with plans to expand in future years based on outcomes and community impact. The program is patterned after a highly successful similar effort in the Traverse City region that has grown to include six counties.
Photo: Cook Plant EVP Kelly Ferneau presents check to Meals on Wheels ED Linda Tinsley at Cook Plant
