August 4, 2022
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Dear Friends,
We all know from our own wallets that times are tight, that our food and gas dollars aren’t going as far as they used to.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported that the cost of food has risen more than 12 percent in the last year. And everything from milk and chicken and eggs, butter and fresh fruits and beets – the staples we all depend on – have gone up by double digits.
For families struggling to make ends meet, these higher costs have become a real burden. We don’t want our families to scrimp on other essentials, like rent or utilities or medicines, so they can make sure they don’t go hungry.
The time is right to ensure our residents have the resources they need to feed their families.
So we proposed and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners recently approved a pair of food assistance grants - $350,000 to Lighthouse and $350,000 to the Pontiac Community Foundation – that will go toward emergency food needs. We also allocated $250,000 to Double Up Food Bucks, a program that doubles the money for fresh produce at farmers’ markets for people eligible for SNAP assistance.
Lighthouse has gotten food distribution down to a science and has been providing emergency food to nearly 5,000 individuals a week during the COVID pandemic. And the Pontiac Community Foundation will provide grants of up to $50,000 to organizations that aren’t traditional food providers, but who found themselves in that role during COVID. So many organizations have created food pantries to help people who lost their jobs or who are living on the edge every day and still may be food insecure.
It's the right and moral thing to do for our residents.
Think about it. In the wealthiest county in Michigan, more than 11 percent of our children are listed as food insecure and 43 percent of Oakland County students – about 61,000 kids – participate in free or reduced-price lunches.
We’re not stopping at helping our families get the food they need, though. We are partnering with the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solution Initiative to do a comprehensive Food Landscape study, looking at everything from the healthy food systems and providers in our county, to the role that urban farms and farmers play in getting nutritious food to all of our families. The study will also examine transportation routes and how hard it might be for some families to have access to grocery stores and how food insecurity contributes to all sorts of challenging family dynamics.
It's fortunate that we have the resources, through the federal American Rescue Plan, to pay for these programs and such a great partnership and support from the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.
With these one-time dollars, we can make a real difference in the lives of our residents. These are the types of programs we can invest in to make sure that in All Ways, Oakland County is moving forward.
With Gratitude,
David Coulter Oakland County Executive
Service highlight of the week: Summer Youth Energy Academy
Did you know that for the first time, Oakland County Michigan Works!, in collaboration with Consumers Energy and Oakland Schools, helped 10 teenagers graduate from the Summer Youth Energy Academy last week after they spent six weeks of their summer vacation learning about job opportunities in the energy sector.
The goal of the program was to spread awareness about careers in the energy sector in the fields of electricity, natural gas, renewables and corporate jobs.
The 10 students from across Oakland County attended classes Monday through Thursday for the last six weeks. With funding from the Oakland County Michigan Works!, they were paid $15 per hour to participate in the program.
In addition to learning about the energy field as a potential career path, the students, toured Consumers’ facilities, attended sessions on using drones and building windmills, and connected with mentors from the utility and Oakland County.
Coulter creates task force to tackle monkeypox outbreak
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter launched the Oakland County Monkeypox Task Force last week to respond to the outbreak and educate the public about the illness. To date, the county has at least five confirmed or probable monkeypox cases, the highest of any county in Michigan.
Oakland County Health Officer Calandra Green will lead the task force which will help develop a communication and education plan about monkeypox and a strategy for outreach to the communities. They also will create a plan for the distribution of vaccines once they become more readily available.
Oakland County preparing for Air Show
Mark your calendar for Sunday, Aug. 14 for the air show at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford.
The event will feature the Misty Blues All Woman Skydiving Team, aircraft and military support vehicle displays, airplane and helicopter rides, a health fair and a Kids Zone Play Area.
The overall event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the actual air show will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Entry is free. For more information, go to: https://www.oakgov.com/aviation/news-events/Pages/default.aspx
|