State of Health

A rendering of the future Fresh! by Gleaners.

Fresh food pantry set to open near Detroit, building upon other innovative Michigan models

Gleaners Community Food Bank has broken ground on Fresh! by Gleaners, an innovative concept that will make free, fresh food available to people living in Wayne and Macomb counties.

Danielle Atkinson, founder and national director of Mothering Justice, has been instrumental in advocating for paid leave in Michigan.
Paid sick leave and family leave are moving forward in Michigan. Here’s what’s next.

For more than a decade, Michigan advocacy groups and some legislators have been working to expand paid leave from work for Michiganders – and this year, their efforts are paying off in two major ways.

Produce from the Youth Mentor Garden at Marquette Park in Wyoming, Mich.
Youth Mentor Gardens grow food, family, and community in Detroit and Grand Rapids area

At two Youth Mentor Gardens, participating teens and their families work together to plant, weed, water, mulch, and harvest produce.

Ariane Donnelly, Anne Davis, and Tanya Andrews at the Prescription for Health booth at the Pittsfield Township Farmers Market. Prescription for Health is Washtenaw County's produce prescription program.
Prescriptions for fresh produce grow in Michigan through collaboration and new funding

Efforts are underway to better coordinate efforts between produce prescription programs and to create more standardized funding mechanisms for them.

Amy Nichols, campus coordinator for the Region IV Area Agency on Aging, at the Campus for Creative Aging's booth in the South Haven Art Fair. She shows an example of the Window to Our World art project for care partners.
Campus for Creative Aging helps Southwest Michigan seniors find purpose after retirement

Since 2017, the Campus for Creative Aging has been offering a variety of innovative opportunities for older adults in Berrien, Van Buren, and Cass counties – and helping younger residents understand and respect their older neighbors.

The Inclusive Health Care Taskforce hosted an information and resource fair on June 13.
Michigan coalition works to address health disparities for older adults

A broad coalition of Michigan organizations has come together to address health disparities that affect Michigan's rapidly growing population of older adults.

Derek Miller, program supervisor for Kalamazoo County’s Healty Babies Healthy Start & 4Dad Fatherhood Program, with Sidni Miller, community health worker, inside Kalamazoo County’s Health and Community Services building.
$5 million in federal funding will help 5 Michigan organizations reduce infant and maternal deaths

Five Michigan organizations will receive federal support of about $1 million each to improve maternal and infant health in the state.

Lunchtime at Oehrli Elementary School in Montague, Mich.
Michigan’s free school meals yield high returns for student health and academic success

Michigan has become one of eight states to make free school meals available to all, creating notable benefits for students' health.

Patricia Tillman-Meakins, Tracey Williams, and Becca Fleming at Packard Health Clinic at West Willow.
Community-based health projects offer care for underserved residents in Detroit, Ypsi, and Jackson

Several Michigan organizations are innovating ways to increase health care access for the state’s most vulnerable residents in their own communities. 

Homg Miller leads a fitness class for in person participants at the Detroit office of the Association of Chinese Americans and participants on Zoom.
Metro Detroit project focuses on culturally relevant home care for older Chinese Americans

The Metro Detroit-based Association of Chinese Americans is developing a training program to address the shortage of direct care workers equipped to serve older Chinese Americans in Southeast Michigan. 

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