Community Action House, Holland, Michigan
The Health Fund’s approach to improving healthy food access prioritizes solutions shaped by the communities they serve. Our grantees are working to provide nutritious, local food to children, older adults, and families through programs that promote food sovereignty and honor the needs and choices of individuals.
These values come through loud and clear in the work of Michigan’s food clubs, which have been building momentum in our state through a fresh take on food access. By centering choice, cultural relevance, dignity, and the voices of those served, food clubs build community, reduce stigma around food assistance, and promote long-term health.
Not familiar with food clubs? Here’s how they work.
WHAT’S A FOOD CLUB?
Food clubs are a membership-based grocery model designed to increase affordable food access while centering consumer choice.
Often operating as cooperative-style markets, food clubs allow members to purchase fresh and discounted grocery items based on personal preferences or dietary requirements. In some instances, food clubs source their offerings locally, providing a benefit to local farmers and food ecosystems.
Members sign up with their local food club and pay a modest monthly fee that is typically based on their income. In exchange, members receive points — larger families receive more points — that are used to purchase food items in the food club’s market.
Points enable members to make purchases that far exceed what they could get at a traditional grocery store for the same dollar value as their monthly membership dues, and some clubs will waive the membership fee altogether. The model also incentivizes healthy choices, as nutritious foods like fresh fruits and vegetables cost fewer points, making them the most affordable options.
BENEFITS OF FOOD CLUBS
Food clubs are access points for individuals and families who may face barriers to shopping at traditional retail sites due to income, transportation, or even availability in their communities.
Each club has its own membership criteria, food offerings, and supportive services; however, all Michigan food clubs aim to serve people who are food insecure and seek an alternative to the emergency food system.
For the Health Fund, these approaches serve our broader goals by supporting an affordable and secure source of food for families and enriching local food systems..
Above all, they help reduce barriers and increase equitable access to nutritious food in an environment that promotes dignity and choice.
FOOD CLUBS IN MICHIGAN
Our state is currently home to three food clubs: Community Food Club in Grand Rapids, Community Action House in Holland, and Lakeshore Food Club in Ludington.
These programs are tailored in unique ways to serve their communities, and all are supported by the Food Club Network, which is comprised of voices from existing food clubs, as well as communities looking to bring the model to their region.
We’ll take a closer look at these existing programs in a separate post later this summer, along with efforts to introduce the food club model in other Michigan communities.