Food insecurity, hunger prevention focus of community breakfast series

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes and its mission to end hunger in Kalamazoo County will be the focus of the upcoming Mercantile Bank of Michigan Breakfast Speaker Series event hosted by the Haworth College of Business.

Jennifer Johnson, executive director at the nonprofit, will give a presentation titled "What is Food Insecurity?" at 8 a.m. Friday, April 29, in 2150 Schneider Hall on the Western Michigan University campus.

The event is free and open to the public and begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (269) 387-6059 or at wmich.edu/business/mercantile-rsvp. Free parking is available at the Fetzer Center in Lot 72F.

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes

Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes was organized in 1982 after downtown Kalamazoo churches became concerned about increasing requests from people for food assistance. The congregations joined together to share resources and create an organized response to local hunger.

Since then, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes has grown to be the largest provider of supplemental food in the county, serving more than 700 people per day through its Grocery Pantry Program. The organization works with other community partners to provide prepared meal support, senior commodity programs, agency food support, food packs for kids and other community food programs.

Johnson stepped into the role of executive director in 2014. As executive director, she oversees the operations and distribution of millions of pounds of food to local residents each year. Previously, she served as resource development director and public relations director at the organization. Prior to joining Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, Johnson had extensive experience in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.

Upcoming Speakers

• May 20: Diane Thompson, Binder Park Zoo

About the Series

The Mercantile Bank of Michigan Breakfast Speaker Series provides an opportunity for the local community to hear top business leaders and WMU faculty, alumni and friends of the Haworth College of Business discuss current topics of interest.

For more information or to register, contact the Haworth College of Business at (269) 387-6059 or at wmich.edu/business/mercantile-rsvp.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.