Food Access
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Formed in 2018 with leadership from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, the Food Access Collaboration Team of Saginaw (FACTS) has begun to work to address food security and food access challenges in our community. The group is formed as a food council for the whole county. Initially, the effort has created a shared calendar of food distributions, pantry open hours, soup kitchens, meals for youth and older adults, and other emergency food resources. This allows those poised to help to have access to information about hours and qualifications and the electronic resource is easily updated as things change. Each quarter FACTS holds meetings with area agencies that are engaged in the work of meeting the need for food all over Saginaw County. In the late fall, the group discussed holiday focused feeding opportunities with a hope to eliminate duplication and encourage cooperation in the community. In the coming year, FACTS hopes to raise funds to tackle a food club or mobile market to serve a broader area in the community. MSU Extension has contributed to the facilitation of meetings and the sharing of data among the group. Julia Darnton is a Community Food Systems Educator who is part of this effort. She has created shared maps to help the group see geographic gaps in service and data. She has also assisted with resources from MSU including those of the Center for Regional Food Systems.
