HCZ Project Profiles

Chippewa County Health Department — Grow My Own

https://www.chippewahd.com/

Chippewa County, MI

The Grow My Own project from Chippewa County Health Department helps families build healthier lives by teaching them how to grow, harvest, store, and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. With support from local farmers, nutrition experts, and families, participants learn how to grow food in both small-scale planters and full-size gardens. The project highlights the nutritional value, affordability, and accessibility of locally grown produce, making healthy eating a sustainable and cost-effective option for families across the region.

Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District — Outdoor Discovery & Exploration Station

https://www.eupschools.org/

Chippewa County, MI

The Outdoor Discovery & Exploration Station at Sault Early Learning Center is a vibrant, inclusive community space designed to spark curiosity and connection. This outdoor environment invites children, families, and community members to explore nature and fosters a love of learning through hands-on activities. Centered on inclusivity and cultural responsiveness, it features accessible trails, interactive play areas, and educational zones reflecting the local heritage of Sault Ste. Marie. Nurturing physical, mental, and emotional well-being, the Station offers opportunities for all ages to gather, grow, and thrive in a supportive and enriching outdoor setting.
 

A Girl Like Me — Healthy Babies Program

https://www.agirllikemeinc.org/

Detroit, MI

The Healthy Babies Program at A Girl Like Me Inc. Resource Hub supports teen and young mothers in the Brightmoor neighborhood and across Detroit. The initiative offers nutrition education, breastfeeding workshops, and access to healthy meals, which are key tools to improve the health of both mothers and their babies. Designed with young, low-income mothers in mind, the program builds knowledge around healthy eating and nursing, while also creating a strong support network. By investing in maternal wellness, A Girl Like Me and the Healthy Babies Program aim to increase breastfeeding rates, improve family health outcomes, and foster a supportive community.

Birth Detroit — Maternal and Infant Health

https://www.birthdetroit.com/

Detroit, MI

Birth Detroit is working to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in Detroit through a community-led, culturally centered approach. Now, with its own building in which to offer birth center care services, operate the Birth Detroit Easy Access Clinic™, and provide childbirth education, Birth Detroit is poised to expand its services to meet ever-growing community needs. With this funding, Birth Detroit is focused on promoting breastfeeding initiation and duration through a multimedia campaign, father-focused education, and increased access to lactation professionals. To reduce food insecurity among client families, Birth Detroit will deliver culturally relevant prenatal and infant nutritional information in a small-group course format, as well as install a new community garden. Birth Detroit will also incorporate nutrition, physical activity, and social cohesion components into its Well Baby Care and Education series, with the goal of supporting healthy, thriving children with a recommended nine well-care visits by the time they turn 15 months of age.

Brightmoor Connection/Abbott Resource Center — Food Access and Empowerment

https://brightmoorconnection.org/

Detroit, MI

Brightmoor Connection/Abbott Resource Center is transforming its Client Choice Pantry into a dual-model system that meets immediate needs while building long-term community resilience. The pantry will continue to serve families facing food insecurity, while a new community-owned food cooperative will empower residents pursuing economic self-sufficiency. Through cooperative membership, residents will actively participate in decision-making, fostering a sense of ownership and independence. By sourcing from local Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) vendors, hosting wellness workshops, and offering culturally relevant food options, this project fosters short- and long-term community resilience. Positioned alongside the organization's Emergency Transitional Rehabilitative Housing program, which focuses on serving women with low to moderate incomes who need refuge following a housing crisis, the cooperative will also offer growth, independence, and an opportunity for residents to shape a healthier, more equitable food system.

Crossroads of Michigan, Metro Food Rescue, and Street Medicine Detroit — Healthy Neighbor Collaborative

https://www.crossroadsofmichigan.org/

https://www.metrofoodrescue.com/

https://streetmedicinedetroit.org/

Detroit, MI

The Healthy Neighbor Collaborative brings together the 70 years of combined experience of Crossroads of Michigan, Metro Food Rescue, and Street Medicine Detroit to improve food security, healthcare access, and community resilience across Detroit. Through this partnership, thousands of residents facing housing insecurity receive nutritious meals, healthcare consultations, and support with vital documents and referrals.

Each organization contributes unique strengths to address key challenges, such as supporting pregnant individuals, redirecting surplus food into sustainable meal programs, and connecting people in extreme poverty with medically tailored meals and responsive delivery systems. By expanding compassionate care and strengthening community connections, the collaborative fosters lasting, positive change for Detroit’s most vulnerable residents.

Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network — Building Food Power

https://www.dbcfsn.org/

Detroit, MI

The Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network strengthens food security for those most impacted by food injustice through urban agriculture, food entrepreneurship, youth development, civic engagement, cooperative business models, and policy advocacy. Centering Black culture and leadership, the project builds "food power" to help low-income communities achieve greater resilience and justice. Community-led education is integrated through farm family fun days, hands-on learning, and new partnerships with grassroots, justice-focused organizations across Detroit. By combining food production, food processing, education, and advocacy, the network is advancing a vision of Black food security, justice, and sovereignty, working toward a more equitable and sustainable local food system.

 
Detroit Health Department — Breastfeeding Support Initiative

https://detroitmi.gov/departments/detroit-health-department

Detroit, MI

The Detroit Health Department is committed to helping Detroit families thrive through its breastfeeding education and support initiative. This initiative focuses on increasing access to breastfeeding-friendly spaces, breastfeeding education, breastfeeding peer support, and offering evidence-based and culturally sensitive breastfeeding counseling training to Community Health Workers and Doulas. These efforts aim to promote health equity, strengthen community networks, reduce stigma, and enhance the overall health and well-being of Detroiters.

Detroit Parks Coalition — Health & Wellness in Parks

https://www.detroitparkscoalition.com/

Detroit, MI

The Detroit Parks Coalition, an alliance of park leaders and community members, is transforming Detroit's green spaces into vibrant hubs of wellness and connection. The coalition is expanding its popular Yoga in the Parks program, which offers free, inclusive outdoor yoga classes to over 1,500 residents each summer. It is also launching resident-led walking groups and providing sub-grants for neighborhood-specific health initiatives, such as exercise classes and community gardening. These efforts promote physical activity, social engagement, and environmental stewardship, ensuring Detroit's parks are not just places to play, but essential spaces for holistic well-being and stronger, healthier communities.

Give Merit — Merit Park: A Hub for Youth, Health & Opportunity

https://www.meritpark.com/

Detroit, MI

Merit Park is a transformative community space in Detroit, created to empower local youth and families through recreation, workforce development, and education. Featuring a sports complex, training facilities, and retail space for small businesses, Merit Park offers accessible programming to promote physical health, skill-building, and community cohesion. Developed through deep community collaboration, the park will provide free play, STEAM camps, and entrepreneurship training in a welcoming, inclusive environment. With continued support, Merit Park serves as a beacon of opportunity, helping bridge racial and economic disparities while strengthening neighborhood pride, resilience, and long-term community well-being.

Henry Ford Health System and NW Goldberg Cares — Healthy Community Zone

https://www.henryford.com/

https://www.nwgoldbergcares.com/

Detroit, MI

In a powerful collaboration, Henry Ford Health (HFH) and NW Goldberg Cares (NWGC) are working together to invest in the area surrounding Henry Ford’s flagship hospital in Detroit. Rooted in the idea that healthcare institutions can strengthen neighborhoods, this initiative highlights and enhances the work of its neighborhood community development organization, NWGC, which will host curated community dinners, offer a summer youth sports and active lifestyle program, create a mindfulness public space named Serenity Park, and facilitate early planning for a neighborhood grocery store. These efforts aim to improve health outcomes by fostering social connection, increasing access to nutritious food, and creating safe, engaging spaces for residents of all ages.

Project Healthy Community & Brilliant Detroit — Veggie Van & Family Nutrition Program

https://www.projecthealthycommunity.org/

Detroit, MI

Project Healthy Community is partnering with Brilliant Detroit to boost health outcomes for Detroit residents by delivering fresh fruits and vegetables via a Veggie Van and producing engaging cooking demonstration videos. This initiative offers intergenerational services designed to transform family eating habits, creating lasting cycles of nutritious eating and improved wellness across generations. Rooted in a neighborhood-based, community-driven approach, the project promotes long-term behavioral change and expands access to healthy food. By tackling health disparities head-on, it is building a stronger foundation for equitable opportunities and helping residents achieve lasting, optimal health.

Ruth Ellis Center Inc. — Wellness Access for BIPOC LGBTQ+ Youth

https://www.ruthelliscenter.org/

Detroit, MI

The mission of Ruth Ellis Center (REC) is to create opportunities with LGBTQ+ young people to develop their vision for a positive future. The Center’s vision is a world in which LGBTQ+ young people are safe and supported wherever they go. Many young people served by REC face unsafe or unwelcoming environments when seeking health resources. REC provides a safe, affirming, and culturally competent space where Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) LGBTQ+ youth can access essential services, empowering them to meet their basic needs with dignity and fostering long-term health and well-being. Through this funding opportunity, the Ruth Ellis Center seeks to expand access to the social determinants of health for BIPOC LGBTQ+ young people. REC will expand food stabilizing programs by providing greater access to healthy foods and cooking workshops. REC will also increase community awareness, education, peer support, and resources for transgender men who have children and wish to chest feed. This funding will also allow REC to facilitate discussion groups to better understand the community’s physical activity needs pertaining to culturally inclusive programming.

Sanctuary Farms and Sacred Spaces — Growing Health and Community

https://www.sanctuaryfarming.com/

Detroit, MI

Rooted in Riverbend: Closing the Food Loop is a transformative project led by Sanctuary Farms and its nonprofit arm, Sacred Spaces, in Detroit’s Riverbend neighborhood. With programmatic management by LionBear Ventures, the initiative advances food equity, environmental health, and community resilience. In partnership with local organizations — including Alkebulan Village, Ecosphere Organics, Make Food Not Waste, Midtown Composting, and Taste the Local Difference — the project offers hands-on education in closing the food loop through organic farming, composting, and cooking. Community workshops and block parties promote local engagement and healthier lifestyles. Strategic investments in neighborhood infrastructure will support long-term community connection and well-being. This initiative aims to improve social determinants of health and establish Detroit’s first food-sovereign space, creating a replicable model for systemic change rooted in sustainability, self-reliance, and community empowerment.

Stand with Trans — Trans Youth Nutrition Access (TYNA)

https://standwithtrans.org/

Detroit, MI

Trans Youth Nutrition Access (TYNA) is a program of Stand with Trans designed to advance health equity for Black and Latinx trans youth ages 16–24. TYNA offers hands-on nutrition classes using culturally relevant ingredients and recipes, including considerations specific to trans youth. In addition, bi-monthly community dinners with facilitated conversations create a supportive space for connection and belonging. By addressing both systemic racial and gender inequities and the deep social isolation many trans youth face, TYNA fosters healthier lifestyles and builds community resilience through education, empowerment, and shared meals.

The Salvation Army — Healthy Food Access

https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/connercreek/

Detroit, MI

The Salvation Army Detroit Conner Creek Center aims to strengthen food programs to address the unique needs of the Detroit Eastside community, where limited access to grocery stores and transportation contributes to unhealthy eating habits. This initiative will expand healthy food assistance through a client-choice pantry and congregate meals, while introducing the “Family of Freshness Garden,” a space where local residents can grow and enjoy fresh produce, along with a free, fresh produce box for Wayne County residents. Additionally, weekly recreational activities will be transformed into educational classes focused on chronic health issues and prevention, fostering cohesive family time, and promoting healthier lifestyles across the community.
 

Covenant Medical Center Inc. — Bliss Park

https://www.covenanthealthcare.com/

Saginaw, MI

The Bliss Park project is a collaborative partnership between Covenant Medical Center and the City of Saginaw, focused on transforming Bliss Park into a health-centered gathering place. The initiative will expand opportunities for active recreation, strengthen social connections, and promote long-term community well-being. Designed to benefit residents, Covenant employees and patients, and the wider public, the project seeks to reduce health disparities by making physical activity and community engagement more accessible and inviting for all.

Michigan Health Improvement Alliance, Inc. and Saginaw Community Alliance for the People — Healthy Saginaw

https://mihia.org/

https://saginawcap.org/

Saginaw, MI

Saginaw Community Alliance for the People (CAP) works to advance health equity for Saginaw residents, with a focus on marginalized communities. Partnering with local organizations, CAP provides access to nutritious food, health education, and inclusive activities that encourage outdoor engagement for all ages and abilities. Key initiatives include food distribution events, health screenings, youth empowerment programs, and community-wide outdoor activities. By addressing systemic barriers and fostering social connection, the initiative is building a healthier, more inclusive community where every resident has the opportunity to thrive.

Michigan Health Improvement Alliance (MiHIA) is a collective impact organization providing backbone support and guidance to Saginaw CAP. Serving as Saginaw CAP’s fiscal agent and fiscal sponsor, MiHIA brings more than 15 years of experience in facilitating large-scale, transformational projects and grant administration throughout central and eastern Michigan, with many focused in Saginaw.

Saginaw Community Food Club and Kitchen — Healthy Choice Market & Kitchen

https://saginawfoodclub.org/

Saginaw, MI

The Saginaw Community Food Club and Kitchen is a nonprofit grocery store in Saginaw, MI, committed to advancing food equity by providing affordable access to nutritious foods and practical nutrition education. Unlike traditional food pantries, the Food Club operates like a regular grocery store, prioritizing choice, dignity, and community participation through an innovative pricing model that keeps healthy foods accessible. On-site and mobile educational kitchens will offer cooking classes and demonstrations, equipping individuals and families with the skills to prepare healthy meals on a budget. This community-centered initiative works to break down barriers to healthy eating and foster lasting wellness in Saginaw.

Urban Racquet Sports Foundation — Micro-Markets at Garber Courts

https://www.racquet-sports.org/

Saginaw, MI

Urban Racquet Sports Foundation (URSF) is launching a transformative initiative in Saginaw County focused on the acquisition and utilization of Micro-Market vending machines to enhance health and wellness. Urban Racquet Sports Foundation serves youth and adults from Saginaw and neighboring areas, many of whom lack easy access to a full-service grocery store. Garber Courts does not currently have food options; the machines will provide program participants with a diverse selection of nutritious snacks, meals, and beverages. This innovative approach is designed to promote informed dietary choices, foster positive eating habits, and support overall physical well-being. By integrating healthy food options into existing programs, the initiative aims to empower individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles, reinforcing URSF’s commitment to improving community health outcomes across Saginaw County.