Voices for Action Region 3: Double Up Food Bucks Offers Healthy Food Incentives

Welcome

Voices for Action is a statewide effort to reduce poverty 50% in Michigan by 2020.

Led by the Michigan Department of Human Services, the initiative has created a network of organizations including human service organizations, government agencies, local faith-based and community organizations, non-profits, and businesses.

This space is for you to share your Voices for Action stories and current information. There are three ways to share.

- Submit a post via email to: voices4action3@haltpoverty.org and we'll post it for you, be sure to include contact info

- Submit a post through blogger: Google account required; request author invite by sending an email with name & organization information to: voices4action3@haltpoverty.org

- Comment on published posts, no login required

You can use tags to highlight themes, such as 'asset building', 'workforce development', 'food assistance', etc.

Here are current poverty statistics for Region 3:

2009 Poverty and Median Income Estimates - Counties
Name	Poverty Estimate All Ages	Poverty Percent All Ages	Poverty Estimate Under Age 18	Poverty Percent Under Age 18	Median Household Income
Ionia	8,952	15.8	3,068	20.7	46,926
Kent	86,639	14.5	31,431	20.3	47,684
Lake	2,455	23.4	830	42.5	29,373
Mason	5,024	17.8	1,569	26.4	38,073
Mecosta	8,053	20.9	2,107	26.2	37,840
Montcalm	11,868	19.9	4,264	29.1	38,143
Muskegon	31,179	18.6	10,542	25.2	38,916
Newaygo	8,900	18.6	3,210	26.7	39,059
Oceana	5,569	20.6	2,271	33.7	37,655
Osceola	4,268	19.1	1,529	28.7	34,823
Ottawa	26,051	10.3	7,295	10.9	52,107

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Estimates Branch
Internet Release date: December 2010

Region 3 Poverty Data by County Map

View Michigan Counties - Region 3 Poverty in a larger map

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Double Up Food Bucks Offers Healthy Food Incentives

"The Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program provides families receiving food assistance benefits -- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) -- with the means to purchase more Michigan-grown fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets. The program aims to increase the consumption of healthy food in low-income communities while also creating new sales opportunities for Michigan growers."

Learn how it works for Bridge Card holders.

Here are currently participating Kent County markets: