NEWS RELEASE
$425,000 in Grants Help Expand Nutrition Access and Education Across Michigan
Teddy Lemmer
| 3 min read
DETROIT, November 9, 2026— Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (Blue Cross), in partnership with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation and Blue Cross Complete of Michigan, has awarded $425,000 in grants to 12 Michigan organizations to improve access to nutrient-rich foods and strengthen nutrition knowledge in local communities.
Through the Nourishing Communities: Nutrition Access, Education and Impact grant program, grant recipients will expand local food programs, enhance food rescue and gleaning efforts and provide education to help residents make more informed nutrition choices. More than 1.5 million Michiganians face hunger, according to Feeding America, highlighting the importance of community-based efforts that make nutritious food more accessible to families across the state.
“Each year, Michigan’s healthcare system pays billions of dollars for the treatment of chronic conditions linked to poor nutrition, like diabetes, hypertension and obesity,” said Tiffany Albert, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan senior vice president of Community Relations and chief inclusion officer. “Our community partners understand the challenges residents face and how to help. By supporting their work, we’re investing in better nutrition close to home, with the goal of helping Michiganians live healthier lives and making healthcare more affordable.”
Grants will support projects from Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula to Detroit, including community farming, mobile markets and meal programs. The Nourishing Communities program builds on Blue Cross’ broader efforts to improve nutrition across Michigan. Since its launch in 2009, Blue Cross’ Building Healthy Communities program has helped children at nearly 1,500 Michigan schools fight childhood obesity and build a healthier future.
In 2022, Blue Cross partnered with United Dairy Industry of Michigan and other organizations to support the Food Pantry Grant Program, with the goal of expanding food pantries’ capacity across Michigan to provide nutrient-rich food options for community members. Over the last four years, the program has helped 220 food pantries serve more than 90,000 Michigan residents monthly.
Most recently, Blue Cross launched Power Your Health, an initiative that seeks to educate and empower Michiganians with practical steps to build healthy nutrition habits. To learn more about Power Your Health, visit bcbsm.mibluedaily.com/poweryourhealth.
A full list of Michigan-based organizations receiving grants can be found here.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and BCBSM Foundation
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.7 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies who reside outside the state. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com and MIBlueDaily.com. For more on the BCBSM Foundation, visit bcbsm.com/foundation.
About Blue Cross Complete of Michigan
Blue Cross Complete of Michigan is contracted by the state of Michigan to provide medical services to eligible Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries in 58 counties in the Lower Peninsula. Blue Cross Complete of Michigan is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit mibluecrosscomplete.com.
