Stories of Change

A series of inspirational stories about the people, places and things that are helping people eat healthy and move more. It is made possible with funding from Michigan Fitness Foundation.

Fresh Conversations participant LaDonna Johnson prepares to eat a corn salad she made using a recipe she got from the program.

Fresh Conversations inspires Detroit seniors to eat healthy and move more

A weekly nutrition class offered by the Methodist Children’s Home Society is helping seniors become more mindful about making healthy food and fitness choices.

Rachel Bloch, the Marquette-Alger Regional Education Service Agency’s health education consultant and MFF SNAP-Ed program lead.
Innovative program makes CSAs accessible to Michigan families

A program called Michigan Farm to Family: CSA offers families fresh fruits and vegetables through local community supported agriculture shares at a reduced price.

A young participant in The Learning Kitchen.
Cooking classes help Detroit youth knock out bad eating habits

Through a program called The Learning Kitchen, offered by GenesisHOPE Community Development Corporation, third through eighth graders are top contenders when it comes to eating more fruits and vegetables.

Matt Perkins often will make Michigan Harvest of the Month™ recipes at home. Some of the family's favorite recipes are a sweet potato hash and homemade salsa.
Michigan Harvest of the Month™ instills healthy habits in class, at home, and for life

Michigan Harvest of the Month™ materials educate children about fruits and vegetables through materials including posters, recipe cards, food tasting activities, and an online recipe collection. 

Erin Barrett holds a walking trail sign in Ludington.
New project encourages Baldwin and Ludington residents to get active in their own neighborhoods

New wayfinding signs are encouraging public housing residents to get out and walk routes in their neighborhoods, as part of a greater effort to promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles. 

Daisy Manriquez.
“I’ve been where they are”: Van Buren County nutrition educator journeys from student to teacher

As an eighth-grader, Daisy Manriquez loved learning to garden through programming supported by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program education (SNAP-Ed) funding. Today, Manriquez is 24 and her job is leading SNAP-Ed programming for a new generation.

A Farmers Market Food Navigator interacts with a market patron.
Farmers Market Food Navigators help maximize Prescriptions for Health

At Mt. Pleasant’s Island Park Farmers Market and St. Louis Farmers Market, friendly Farmers Market Food Navigators share nutrition tips and teach low-income residents how to make the most of their food dollars.

Produce from the Buckley Community Garden.
Bountiful community garden helps reduce food insecurity in Northwest Michigan

A simple conversation between a Buckley Community Schools principal and Traverse Bay Area ISD officials planted the seeds for a farm to school  initiative that combined nutrition education with a new community garden at the school. 

Students toss a healthy kale salad.
Healthy Habits Start Now through collaboration between Livingston and Washtenaw counties

Livingston Educational Service Agency's Healthy Habits Start Now (HHSN) program helps families understand the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables every day and the benefits of being more physically active. 

Women at a WOW class offered by LAHC.
Nonprofit LAHC breaks barriers to physical activity for Dearborn residents

The nonprofit Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities has spent decades providing a variety of services for Dearborn residents, most recently using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education funding to make physical activity more accessible to all.

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