Kids’ Foods Basket CEO Bridget Clark Whitney appointed to Michigan Community Assistance Commission

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Bridget Clark Whitney, president and founding CEO of Kids’ Food items Basket, was not long ago appointed to the Michigan Neighborhood Provider Fee by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The commission strives to build a culture of provider by delivering vision and means to strengthen communities by volunteerism. It is composed of 25 associates, each individual of a distinct experience, to serve 3-yr phrases.

Whitney, a Grand Rapids resident of 22 decades, was appointed in Nov. 20 to symbolize an person with experience in the academic, instruction, and developmental requirements of youth by means of Oct. 1, 2023. She succeeds Judith Watson-Olson.

“I am so honored and humbled to serve in this ability and be in a position to guidance our nonprofit sector and assist our services movement all over our terrific condition of Michigan, particularly … at a time exactly where it feels like it’s a lot more significant than at any time,” Whitney explained.

Kids’ Food items Basket, located at 1300 Plymouth Ave. NE in Grand Rapids, distributes very well-well balanced night meals recognised as sack suppers to far more than 8,000 young ones attending universities in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Allegan counties.

The nonprofit, established by Mary K Hoodhood 2001, commenced out delivering 125 baggage to Straight Elementary College in Grand Rapids.

Connected: New $7.5M Kids’ Foodstuff Basket facility lets it to provide additional learners

Whitney, who has expanded the group, explained she has admired the get the job done of the fee and is grateful for the possibility to now lead to those people initiatives.

Growing up in Detroit with moms and dads who had been “social justice champions,” Whitney claimed she felt a passion for community service and activism from a young age. She explained Kids’ Food stuff Basket was launched in 2002 to meet community requires with couple monetary assets.

“I manufactured a determination at a youthful age that this is the do the job that I required to do with my life,” Whitney claimed. “I wanted to dedicate my techniques and sources and, frankly, privilege to be capable to function on society’s most pressing complications.’’

Whitney started off doing work at the nonprofit at age 22-year-previous with “a whole lot of optimism and idealism” which allowed her to be “scrappy” to get the group off of the floor. Considering that then, she has witnessed the non-revenue expand and become a necessary useful resource for the West Michigan community.

“Throughout the past 18.5 a long time, we have actually realized what a massively systemic situation meals insecurity is and how hunger is both of those a bring about of poverty and a symptom of poverty,” Whitney reported.

“We need to have to be ready to guarantee all of our kids have constant accessibility to balanced, nourishing food items so that they can break down the boundaries of generational poverty.”

In addition to working the non-revenue, Whitney has been a board member for the Michigan Nonprofit Affiliation for the past six years.

As a commissioner, Whitney reported she plans to continue on to help the state’s susceptible populations via arranged efforts and support.

“My aim is to consider what we’ve figured out about group engagement, intersectional support in the neighborhood, deep range and how we empower one particular an additional to make the environment a far better spot … and share (these lessons) with our nonprofit corporations all over the point out … that are making use of services as a way to really split down some of our systemic problems,” Whitney mentioned.

“Our collective overall health as the state of Michigan depends on our means to treatment for our most susceptible citizens.”

While the fee does not provide funding, it does have the skill to support leaders amplify and strategize neighborhood provider initiatives to addressing pressing challenges in the condition.

As non-income carry on to wrestle to meet the elevated need for solutions with diminished funding, Whitney explained she hopes to support develop programming and systems to support them during the pandemic and past.

“I’m really extremely passionate about our complete point out and assuaging the difficulties of poverty and also building possibilities for potential for each and every Michigander,” Whitney explained.

Whitney, who acquired her Bachelor of Science in Neighborhood Leadership from Aquinas Faculty and a Master of Social Justice from Margrove School, will start off actively attending meetings bimonthly beginning in January.

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