Food First

Harambee is a KiSwahili word that means to ‘pull together’. The Michigan Harvest Gathering is definitely a “Harambee” type of event. We find the need of people struggling to have enough food causes toxic stress in every community. MHG isn’t just about the need, it is also about the opportunity. Phil and Gerry discuss the 28th annual Michigan Harvest Gathering and the impact the continued efforts m...

Michigan is one of the most rapidly aging states in the nation. The percentage of residents age 65 and older—now at approximately 15%—is expected to jump to nearly 22% by 2050. This is great - people are living longer, but how do we address their needs? Paula Cunningham, CEO and State Director of AARP Michigan discusses the “Disrupting Disparities: A Continuum of Care for Michiganders 50 and Older...

Phil, Gerry, State Senator Jim Ananich and Clarence Garner, Superintendent of Grand Blanc Community Schools, discuss Lunch Shaming. Senator Ananich recently introduced the Senate Bill 1078 - the Hunger-Free Student Bill of Rights. The students aren't the ones making the decisions, but they're the ones who are being punished and humiliated in front of their peers.

Hunger deprives our children of more than just food - it's a simple fact. Did you know that 1 in 6 children may not know where their next meal is coming from? Tune in to hear from Lawrence Burns, CEO of Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation discuss the foundation's pathways to healthy lives.

No one can solve hunger alone. Even with a good economy, there are children in EVERY school district that are food insecure. Tune in to hear about innovations and trends from Joe Wald, ED of Greater Lansing Food Bank and Markell Miller, Director of Community Food Programs at Food Gatherers.

Phil’s motto and basis of this week’s show – Being logically consistent. Phil, Gerry and guest, David Lee, ED of Feeding Wisconsin, discuss the logical inconsistencies of politics, policies and philosophies.

How close are we to solving food insecurity? Tune in to hear Phil and Gerry discuss our work with The Paul W. Smith Show​.

Of what use is a dream if not a BLUEPRINT for courageous action." Our food bank network and board of directors have courage, a vision and a passion for our mission. Tune in to hear about the Blueprint to SOLVE hunger in Michigan!

Heroes are made not born. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is a pediatrician, professor, and public health advocate whose research exposed the Flint water crisis. Dr. Mona turned anger into action by tackling huge problems, not just talking about them - she is force to be reckoned with and her voice will continue to be heard. Tune in to hear discussion of her book, "What the eyes don't see", how she's turni...

Waste not. Want not. Dr. Lisa Johnson is a Senior Research Scholar in the Department of Horticultural Science and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) at North Carolina State University. Lisa has helped to develop and fund Whole Crop Harvest, a dynamic, interdisciplinary research program studying on-farm food loss with a focus on fresh market vegetable production in North Carolina....

Let's think better and bigger - simple, right? Tune in to hear the plethora of ways that Phil and Gerry are changing the conversation that surrounds food insecurity. They also discuss the changes of the SNAP benefits and who it effects the most - children and seniors. Did you know that 1 in 5 children are food insecure? Heartbreaking and unacceptable. Did you also know that more times than not, se...

Ken Nobis - not only is he President of Michigan Milk Producers Association, he is the First Vice Chair of the National Milk Producers Federation. With milk being one of the most requested items from our clients, Ken and his team at MMPA have been our champion by donating fresh milk to our food bank network resulting in a total milk donation of 164,250 gallons! Every agricultural channel is much m...

Tune in to get an accurate update about the Farm Bill from Carrie Calvert, Managing Director, Government Relations of Feeding America and learn how the Farm Bill effects everything regarding food - from farm to fork. Phil and Gerry also delve into the measuring of food insecurity. Did you know that there are 15 federal food programs throughout the U.S.? Even with all of these resources, we've only...

Tune in to hear from a leadership architect, consultant, author and change strategist, Sam Chand. Sam excels at helping organizations develop leadership and structure around issues that are often difficult to solve. I leave you with this: "Your size and your speed are controlled by your systems and structures." Interested in learning more about Sam - head on over to his website and be prepared to...

To those who do not understand history, they are condemned to repeat it. - Santayana A lot of times, the term lobbyist is not met with a positive light until you work with someone like Stephanie Johnson, FBCM's lobbyist. Stephanie is a managing partner at Kandler Reed Khoury & Muchmore - the strength of her character, passion and integrity make her a pleasure to work with. Phil, Gerry and Steph di...

Iron Sharpens Iron by Phil Knight

Trend-buster: Kara Ross, the new CEO for Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. Did you know that 75% of the people who work in the non-profit world are women, but only 45% of the top CEO positions are held by women. Kara has worked in the food bank world for over 20 years and is a logistical wizard. Tune in to hear Phil, Gerry and Kara discuss crisis and communication, innovations, opportunities and impa...

Tune in to hear from the incendiary CEO and president of Small Business Association of Michigan, Rob Fowler. Rob, Phil and Gerry discuss minimum wage, business models and the Employee Resource Network (ERN). Rob and his SBAM team stand in the gap for those who cannot stand for themselves.

Phil and Gerry had the pleasure of interviewing Congressman Dan Kildee and United States Senator Debbie Stabenow at the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference #MPC18. Congressman Kildee and US Senator Stabenow are prime examples of standing in the gap for those who cannot stand for themselves. Tune in to hear great conversations from two powerful leaders about the financial cliff, poverty lines / self-su...

Tune in to hear from MSU Academic Specialist and Host of Our Table, Sheril Kirshenbaum. Sheril delves into a variety of topics - from GMO's to who we should be listening to about food (surprisingly, it's not the Kardashian's) to food waste. In the U.S. we are wasting 1400 calories of value are wasted per person per day - that's absurd! We must have an impact that MATTERS! Talk isn't cheap - it's v...

Waste not, want not. Did you know that 43% of all food waste comes from yours and my refrigerators? Tune in to hear how Kirk Mayes, CEO of the nationally recognized Forgotten Harvest and his team are combating food waste by rescuing food around the Metro Detroit area. Food waste is so much more than just waste, it's a BIG picture issue. It has such a large impact on the environment: once the waste...

Tune in to hear from the enlightening Jodi Schafer and Sonya Robinson, two of the four founders of PureReinvention discuss the foundation - there is passion behind every move they make. Food for Thought is designed to follow the Fundamental 5: disrupt, own, simplify, connect and move in changing the conversation and the culture around the issue of food insecurity. Interested in learning more about...

The sum is greater than the individual part. As a common leadership motto goes, 'People are an organization's greatest asset' - Julianne Pricinsky, Retired President of Baker College - Flint Campus and Board Chairman of Food Bank of Eastern Michigan is just that, she is one of Flint's greatest assets and has no loss of enthusiasm for the mission! Julianne, Phil and Gerry thoroughly discuss the ser...

Simplicity has a clarifying quality to it, but it's also frothed with dangerous fix-it bumper sticker platitudes which make solving a huge multi-faceted problem like hunger seem simple. Ask yourself 'why are people hungry in one of the richest countries in the world?' Tune in to hear from a continuing contributor on Food for Thought, Carrie Calvert, Managing Director of Government Relations at Fee...

"Hunger is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Winston Churchill Data-driven decisions allows us to be more in tune with the communities we serve and gauge our effectiveness. Dr. Erin McDonald, VP of Center for Research and Learning at Feeding America and her team are leading the Map the Meal Gap study across the nation. Feeding America has undertaken the Map the Meal Gap analysis to...