Trinity Health Alliance of Michigan awards $139,000 to West Michigan food programs

MUSKEGON, Mich. (March 4, 2025) – Trinity Health Alliance of Michigan has awarded Trinity Health Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Grand Haven and Shelby hospitals more than $139,000 to address food access and availability. 

The specific amounts awarded to each hospital are: 

• Trinity Health Muskegon Farm: $30,655
• Trinity Health Grand Rapids: $28,155
• Trinity Health Grand Haven: $10,655
• Trinity Health Shelby: $28,155

Across all four regions of Trinity Health West Michigan, access to healthy, affordable, and readily available food remains one of the top concerns that has been identified in each of the last three Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). In the previous 12 months, Social Influencers of Health screening data report that more than 11% of patients screened identified food access/insecurity needs. 

This work will follow the Produce Prescription programming and combine with the food access services already available in Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Shelby. Regional grants will help grow and improve community impact by increasing healthy food availability, providing funding for commodity food distribution, offering delivery and/or transportation services, and serving more patients who: 

• Have serious medical conditions and are enrolled in two types of health coverage
• Have uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Are readmitted to the hospital often
• Live in Trinity Health priority zip codes

“We are grateful to Trinity Health Alliance of Michigan for the provision of these funds to support critical need for access to health, food and nutrition education within our communities,” said Michelle Gravlin, Director of Community Health & Well-Being, Trinity Health Muskegon, Grand Haven and Shelby. 

These grants will be utilized from September 2026 through January 2027 to accommodate the growing seasons and the Community Supported Agriculture subscription cycles.