Poverty study: 1 in 3 Michigan senior citizens struggles with money

A third of Michigan’s seniors are considered “economically insecure” — far more than the federal poverty limits would suggest, according to a new study.

Moreover, even in counties that are home to some of the most affluent suburbs where the wealthiest will buoy the overall median household income, at least one in four seniors on the other end of the economic scale struggles to make ends meet, according to the paper, “Invisible Poverty: New Measure Unveils Financial Hardship in Michigan’s Older Population.”

“There’s the popular perception that they have this nice car and their house is paid off and they travel the country. And that’s true for some,” said Thomas Jankowski, one of the study’s authors and associate director for research at Wayne State University’s Institute of Gerontology. “But others – many, many others – just skate on the edge of economic security.”

www.freep.com/article/20110720/NEWS06/110720009/Poverty-study-1-3-Michigan-senior-citizens-struggles-money-

"Injustices in the food sytem are abundant" - Niki Britton, Berrien County Health Dept

The goal of the Benton Harbor Farmers Market is to make fresh food available to all residents, particularly low-income people who might not have access to healthier choices.

"Injustices in the food systems are abundant, and this means that not everyone has the same access to affordable, healthy foods they need to live their best life," Nikki Britton, the Berrien County Health Department's epidemiologist, said in a press release.

Britton refers to neighborhoods without full-service grocery stores as "food deserts," where it is easier to get a bag of corn chips than an ear of corn.

This consumption of junk food can lead to diabetes and other illnesses.

Another entity trying to link small farmers to customers looking for healthy foods is the Conservation Fund. The organization recently announced that it had received a $400,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to help black and Hispanic farmers increase their production. The produce can in turn be sold at farmers markets.

"They are really the unsung heroes of local communities," said Peg Kohring of Sawyer, the Conservation Fund's Midwest coordinator and a member of the Berrien County Board of Health.

The grant will benefit farmers and markets in 11 southwest Michigan counties, including Berrien, Van Buren and Cass.

www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2011/07/20/local_news/5713273.txt