CFF Announces Grants to Battle Food Insecurity

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Thanks to those who volunteered in the recent Giving Tuesday food distribution event at Baker College – including (in photo) OMS Middle School Builders’ Club students and advisor Chris Bird.

To address hunger in Shiawassee County, the Cook Family Foundation announces six grants to nonprofit organizations that provide food to those in need.  Shiawassee County has over 10,000 people who are unable to access food regularly, almost 15 percent of the population.

“Food Insecurity is not a new concern in our community, but it is a growing issue,” said Rachel Osmer, Associate Director of the Foundation. “Access to food is one of the most basic needs for survival. Overall well-being is negatively impacted when folks do not have access to food; they are at higher risk for chronic diseases, mental health issues, and larger medical bills.”

In recognition of the significant volunteer efforts made by many in our community, several staff and board members of the Foundation took part in a Giving Tuesday food distribution sponsored by the Shiawassee Family YMCA.  

“We are impressed with the number of our neighbors who are helping out, and we are proud of the number of agencies devoted to meeting this need,” said Anna Owens, board member of the Foundation and the Y.  The Foundation provided a $1,000 grant to the Greater Lansing Food Bank to support food distribution events like these. 

Unrestricted grants of $1,000 are being made to the following organizations:

  1. Durand Area Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry 
  2. Elsie Area Food Pantry 
  3. Catholic Charities of Shiawassee & Genesee 
  4. Angel’s Hands Community Outreach 
  5. Perry Morrice Food Bank 
  6. Shiawassee Council on Aging

These initial grants are the first step toward building a stronger local network. There is already a Food Work Group started in Shiawassee County committed to food access efforts. Shiawassee Health & Wellness, MSU Extension, Memorial Healthcare, Greater Lansing Food Bank, local food pantries, and several nonprofit organizations are working together to address food insecurity across the county.

CFF staff and board members Tom Cook, Bailey Leppert, Yvette Collard, and Anna Owens provide hands-on assistance at the Giving Tuesday food distribution event (behind the camera – Rachel Osmer).

In the last few years, food insecurity has worsened because of inflation. At the same time as prices have risen, food assistance has fallen, as special COVID programs have been discontinued. The Farm Bill authorizes the federal government’s primary food assistance effort, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The current Farm Bill expired in September of 2023 and inaction on its renewal adds uncertainty to the future of SNAP. 

“We don’t know what the future holds with regards to federal programs,” said Tom Cook, Executive Director of the Foundation, “but building a stronger local food system will help those in need in Shiawassee communities.” 

In 2025, the Foundation is committed to working together with community organizations, volunteers, churches, and public agencies that strive to reduce poverty and food insecurity with those who collect surplus food, gleaners, local growers and other providers of food. 

“Farming is a local tradition in our area, and we look forward to finding ways for local growers to supply food to help those who lack access to healthy, affordable food,” said Cook. Look for announcements in early 2025 about opportunities for farmers and local growers to provide food for distribution locally.  For more information, contact Rachel Osmer at rachel@cookfamilyfoundation.org.

Welcome New “Family” Members!

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The Cook Family Foundation continues to grow and evolve to better serve the community.  We are happy to announce the addition of several new staff members and two new board members. They each bring their unique skills to the “family” that carries on the legacy of our founders, engages with our partners, and guides our future philanthropy.  None of us alone is as smart as all of us together, and the Foundation embodies this philosophy in its staffing and governance. 

Rachel Osmer is our new Associate Director and will support the nonprofit and community organizations that work on the ground to improve Shiawassee County.  She will also work closely with Yvette Collard, Director of Scholarships, who serves Shiawassee area students looking toward an education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, UM-Flint, or UM-Dearborn.  

Rachel grew up in Owosso and moved back several years ago.  She obtained her undergraduate degree from UM in Ann Arbor with scholarship help from the Cook Family Foundation.  She also has a Masters in Social Work from Eastern Michigan University.  You may know her as a newly-elected Owosso City Council member (Congratulations, Rachel!).  Most recently, she worked at UM-Flint supporting undergraduates who’ve experienced time in foster care. She is also on the Board of Shiawassee Hope. In her free time, she enjoys being an auntie to her three nieces, loves reading and exploring the public library, and savoring her daily coffee fix – especially from Ollie’s and Foster Coffee Co.

“I am excited about starting with the Cook Family Foundation because it almost feels like coming “home” for me. I am passionate about working with nonprofits, especially those that serve marginalized folks in our community. Working with the CFF is the perfect blend of returning home to work with my community, and also putting my macro level social work skills to use.”

Anna Owens and Tom Cook are now sharing the role of Executive Director for the Foundation.  After 25 years as the sole Executive Director, Tom is now getting the help of his spouse, who will use her complementary skills to champion new community initiatives.  Tom Cook will concentrate more of his efforts on the environmental priorities of the Foundation.  Together, and with the support of an active board, they will direct the work of the Foundation.

Anna has an extensive track record in sales and fundraising in the community, having worked as a Vice President at Wolverine Sign and on the boards of the Lebowsky Center and the Shiawassee Family YMCA. She is excited to work with the Board and staff of the Foundation to help address community needs.

Lorraine Austin joins the team as Executive Assistant to support the increasing amount of work undertaken by the Foundation.  Lorraine was born and raised in Owosso and completed her undergraduate degree at Purdue University and Master’s at UM-Flint. Most of her professional career was spent in conservation education, most notably at the Staten Island Zoo, where she orchestrated and marketed the organization’s educational programs (including ecotourism trips to  Panama, Tanzania, Australia/New Zealand, the Peruvian Amazon, Alaska, and many whale watching excursions along the East Coast). Most recently, you may have seen her as the Interim Director of the Friends of the Shiawassee River. She lives in Owosso with her mother and her kitty companion Pearl.

“Working with the CFF allows me to flip from my life-long employment with nonprofits to serving them. One of the most exciting parts of the job is working in a strengths-based environment where we each excel and use our skills to better the organization as a whole.”

Two new Trustees will further define the community orientation of the Cook Family Foundation.  They join the board of Paul Cook, Tom Cook, Anna Owens, Bailey Leppert, Susie Philips, and Matt Van Epps, bringing to an even four the number of family members and community members on the board. 

Ken Algozin lives in Owosso with his partner Linden Martin and completed his undergraduate degree at Purdue University, Master’s at MSU, and PhD at University of Illinois. He is currently retired, but has served as the Land Protection Specialist at Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy and Executive Director at DeVries Nature Conservancy. Most people who know Ken will recognize the value he brings to the CFF Board to provide focus on local environmental programming. Ken is an avid reader and enjoys backpacking in beautiful wild places.

“I am excited to serve on the CFF board for the opportunity to be involved in providing critical resources to organizations in our community that collectively contribute to the resiliency of our citizens and our natural resources.”

Kathryn Gosaynie currently works as a school social worker with the Shiawassee Regional Education Service DIstrict. She received both her undergraduate and Masters social work degrees at MSU. Kathryn has previously worked as an outpatient therapist in Pediatric/Adolescent Medicine with the Memorial Healthcare and with Michigan State University’s FAME program, serving youth in foster care. She currently serves as a board member with Owosso Pride. 

“I am honored to join the Cook Family Foundation board. I share the organization’s vision of a diverse, healthy, and thriving community where all children have access to the best education. I look forward to serving and supporting the mission of being a catalyst for positive change to promote a more equitable society.”

Let us celebrate these talented individuals and work collectively as essential parts of the Cook Family Foundation mission “to promote a more equitable society and positive community change”. We look forward to facing opportunities and challenges, progress and pitfalls, and successes and setbacks as a community. Together.

Area Nonprofits and UM Student Interns Benefit from the CFF Fellows Program

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The Cook Family Foundation Fellows program supports area non-profit organizations and college students by bringing them together via paid summer internships. Our goal is to bring these talented young people back to our community for a summer’s employment. This helps nonprofits by providing them with the best and the brightest to work on a definable project and helps students by giving them an opportunity to put their skills to work, learn more about their community from a new perspective, and gain additional financial support for their continued education. 

Here are the students who participated in the CFF Fellows program this past summer:

DeVries Nature Conservancy hosted Laurie Platner to help with student summer camp/field trips, animal care, painting projects, organizing supplies, and tending to the Conservancy’s children’s garden (seen in the middle in the photo with the DNC staff). As a Sophomore at UM-Flint majoring in Sustainable & Renewable Technology, she was especially adept at working with youngsters from kindergarten to 6th grades. During the third week of her internship, she actually took the lead as she fully prepared for and ran the Junior Homesteading camp as DeVries Environmental Education Coordinator, Brittany Tillman, was sick with Covid. “Laurie stepped up and offered to run the camp for me with the help of two camp volunteers,” said Tillman. “The camp went wonderfully! We are so grateful for her efforts and the fact that we didn’t have to cancel this week’s camp.” The DeVries staff was sad to see her leave at the end of her designated stay, but are eager to hear about her future endeavors.”

Friends of the Shiawassee River was delighted to welcome Emily Smith as a seasonal intern through the CFF Fellows program. As a Sophomore at UM-Ann Arbor with a dual major in Biopsychology, Cognition & Neuroscience and Ecology, Evolution, & Biodiversity, Emily excelled in recruiting, scheduling, and supporting volunteers for the Shiawassee Triathlon and the 29th Annual River Cleanup. “She also was fabulous at the creation of promotional materials for both events – such as roadside banners, volunteer emails, social media posts and press releases,” said Friends’ Executive Director Liz Roxberry. “We are grateful to have had the opportunity to foster this relationship with Emily and wish her well on her continued educational journey.”

MemorialHealthcare Center provided an opportunity to Lynnae Gilman, a 2024 UM-Ann Arbor graduate with a major in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, a unique experience this summer. As a Clinical Research Intern (CRI), she assisted in data entry and data analytics, evaluated/abstracted research data from historical clinical trials and shadowed some service areas in the hospital and various neurology sub-specialists. Dr. Jeanie Cote added “Lynnae was a pleasure to work with. We encouraged her to continue to build on her knowledge in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience to assist in her career path decision making.”  

Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership gave Haley Vincke, a Junior at UM-Ann Arbor majoring in Business Administration, a chance to learn the ins and outs of an Economic DevelopmentPartnership. Her main focus was updating, expanding, and analyzing SEDP’s property database in preparation for the development of a housing development strategy for Shiawassee County. In addition, Haley was an active participant in a number of SEDP events – providing her with valuable experience to network with area stakeholders. Brent Jones, SEDP Vice-President, shared “Haley was a tremendous addition to our team and her work will make very real progress in our efforts to address the housing shortage in Shiawassee County.”

Shiawassee Art Center, hosted Isaiah Shook, a UM-Ann Arbor sophomore, through the CFF Fellows program. Isaiah assisted with art camp programs for children, adults, and even seniors via the SMARTS (Senior Mobile ARTS) initiative – taking arts projects to area senior centers and assisted living facilities. “Working with Art Education Director Linda Ruehle, Isaiah also learned to throw pottery on the wheel and to measure, mix & sieve glasses for pottery classes,” said the Arts Center Executive Director Piper Brewer.  “And, as a true team player, he even watered all of our outdoor hanging flower baskets every Monday through Thursday until the end of July. He was an incredibly reliable employee. We at SAC felt very lucky that Isaiah chose us for his internship site.”    

The Cook Family Foundations’ Fellows program seeks University of Michigan (and, on occasion, other schools’) students to fill paid summer positions each year. These internships will be for a minimum of 35 hours a week for at least 10 weeks; with the potential to extend the engagement. Students will receive at least $15 per hour for their work.  

Take a look at the CFF Fellows page beginning this coming January to see the opportunities available for the summer of 2025.