Hey Food Access Advocates!

Winter has arrived in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, but that doesn't mean the that our food scene has gone quiet. In fact, it's quite the opposite. This year's GivingTuesday features several causes vital to an active food scene in our community. Those causes include 31 Backpacks, Copper Country Angel Mission, Copper Shores Meals on Wheels, From the Ground Farmers Market Collective, Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly and Pewabic Street Community Garden. 

All donations made during GivingTuesday will be amplified, meaning now is the best time to make a donation to improve food access in Michigan's Copper Country. You can meet all 60 causes in this year's GivingTuesday and learn how to make a donation by visiting coppershores.org/givingtuesday. 

We're excited to be partnering with Superior Health Foundation to provide $20,000 in funding to food banks that support residents in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon Counties. We know this time of year can be hard for many people, and we hope this funding will help provide some stability for families in need. 

With eager anticipation of millage funding over the next four years, we spent a bit more upfront to expand our Meals on Wheels delivery routes and get seniors off the list and in our program as soon as possible. Early this fall, our Meals on Wheels waiting list was officially cleared and we added an additional Meet & Eat time in Lake Linden. 

In L’Anse, we’re boosting community engagement for the Baraga County Farmers Market with a $75,000 grant. The farmers market relocated from the bay to the heart of downtown, where it now has safer and more accessible parking, better protection from the weather coming off the water and new signage to draw people in.

With help from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, we've been working to better understand the barriers that stop local food from making its way into local schools. Exploring the effectiveness of school gardens, students at Adams Township Schools have been hard at work growing produce and skills, culminating in their Harvest Feast for the community in September.

If you are interested in helping us create the healthiest community possible, join us at one of our many events, or consider becoming a one-time or monthly donor. Your generosity helps us break down barriers to food access and education for all in the Copper Country.

In health and happiness,

Copper Shores