2025 Impact100 TC $116,000 Grant Recipient.
Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities is advancing Phase II of the Esperance Community Teaching Kitchen with a transformative initiative: expanding access to food-as-medicine education across Northwest Lower Michigan. With support from Impact100 Traverse City, the Esperance Community Teaching Kitchen will livestream, record, and distribute high-quality culinary medicine and nutrition training to underserved communities in the five-county region.
The initiative will establish the Esperance Community Teaching Kitchen as a regional broadcast hub and technical assistance center. It will deliver live and recorded classes, create an on-demand resource library, and provide continuing medical education for healthcare professionals. Partnerships with media outlets will further broaden access, reaching schools, food pantries, and households across the region.
This initiative represents transformational change by scaling a proven model. Programs like “Dinner with Your Doctor” have already shown improved health behaviors and empowered patients to better manage chronic conditions. By embedding food-as-medicine into both healthcare and community settings, the Esperance Community Teaching Kitchen strengthens vital connections between providers, patients, and families. Long-term partnerships with healthcare systems like Munson Healthcare and a diversified revenue model—including healthcare contributions, class fees, sponsorships, rentals, and consulting—ensure growth beyond the grant period.
With an Impact100 Traverse City grant, this initiative will directly serve at least 500 individuals by 2027 while reaching thousands more digitally. Together, we can transform rural health, proving that food is not just nourishment—it is medicine. Read more
Check Out: Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities Wishlist & Website
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