“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” - Henry Ford

The labels we use to describe people or segments of our population cause those who hear the adjectives to categorize the people in question, making it difficult to withhold bias towards the group. Conservative is such a word. Tune in for Food First Michigan on Sunday at 9:00 PM on WJR Radio to hear Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson, president and CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank, unpack why conservatives should care deeply about solving food security, the effectiveness of providing healthy and nutritious food, and the benefits cliff.

Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and missed opportunities all contribute to why conservatives are allegedly less engaged in the fight against hunger across our nation. This is not just about politics, administration or the legislature – it is about the people! We are never going to solve this problem with only half of the population. Many conservatives are deeply engaged and believe in our mission – they want to see the Michigan food bank network succeed.

The principle of doing more with less is essentially a conservative principle and that is a large component of why conservatives enjoy working with food banks. In some instances, we know it is less expensive and more efficient to give people money and sometimes it is less expensive and more efficient to give people the food they want and need. We need to balance these things with the correct amount of help in the right way. We must listen to understand, not to reply.

The benefits cliff is a term referring to when an individual’s income increases, and the amount of benefits they qualify for decreases. The threshold is 180% poverty, or about $11-$16 / hour, MI being around $14 / hour. Once this limit is met, no further benefits are received. Once the threshold is met, individuals must evaluate the value of benefits versus their earned income. There is a drop-off point where it is more beneficial to earn less and maintain the benefits than to work and receive regular raises. This disincentivizes people from the kinds of progress that they want to make to succeed in life.

Imagine what your community would like if no one was living under the toxic stress of food insecurity… what would economy would be like? Educational outcomes? Health and wellness indicators? What a GREAT vision for a better tomorrow!

Find this episode and all past Food First Michigan episodes at foodfirstmi.org, on Apple Podcasts, or iHeartRadio.

Apple Podcasts --> https://apple.co/38UUpFk
iHeartRadio --> https://ihr.fm/38WJ2wN

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