Best Food Forward

Best Food Forward (BFF) is a planned 10 year initiative where multiple community partners will work to bring the families of two Michigan school districts to full food security in order to improve measured outcomes in academic achievement, student behavior, mental and physical health, and economic stability. Designed as a scalable and replicable pilot that can be implemented at other school districts across the state, BFF embraces the “whole child” educational approach where positive educational and social outcomes are achieved by nourishing children physically, mentally, and academically at home and in the community, in addition to at school and in the classroom. The project will build healthy food systems within each targeted school community by creating community linkages between schools and faith-based, business, service, volunteer, pantry, and other social service organizations; the two-year period for which funding is requested will kick off BFF tracking and assessment for 200 youth and 100 families over the next 10 years on a wide range of health, educational, and economic outcomes.

Local Partners

Gleaners Community Food Bank

Food Bank of Eastern Michigan

Wayne State University

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center
at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form
AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, from any USDA office, by calling
(866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed
AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
   program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.