Wayne County Youth Council urges county action on food deserts; commission approves council's recommendations and partners to purchase food truck

Members of the Wayne County Commission Youth Council presented their 2024'25 annual report and a resolution titled No Man Hungry on April 15, asking the commission to endorse collaborative efforts to address food deserts and food insecurity in Wayne County.

Nidhi (Nidhi) Kumar, chair of the youth council, and other council members described a program year that included advocacy training at Wayne State University, an annual luncheon at the Detroit Institute of Arts, an advocacy trip to Lansing and Washington, D.C., and local outreach. The youth council said its chosen focus for 2024'25 is food insecurity and read a resolution calling for several county-level actions: support for expanded food banks and soup kitchens, growth of community gardens, a countywide produce and animal-based food voucher program, and endorsement of a countywide animal-keeping ordinance to "decrease food insecurity, decrease the cost of healthy foods, and increase community collaboration." The council also requested that family-based public facilities and educational agencies in Wayne County endorse access to healthy food for residents.

Commissioner Alicia Baker McCormick introduced the youth council and moved to receive and file the presentation (item 1) and to approve item 2. The commission amended item 2 to include that Wayne County is partnering to purchase a food truck to support food-security work; that amendment was noted in the motion. The motion to receive and file item 1 and approve item 2 (as amended) was moved by Commissioner Baker McCormick and supported by Commissioner Jonathan Kimlock; the clerk recorded "motion carried." The minutes note the youth council's presentation was accepted and item 2 approved.

The youth council emphasized civic education and advocacy: several members described meeting state lawmakers in Lansing, attending the National Association of Counties meeting in Washington, D.C., and asking for a national youth council. Students cited county health concerns and statistics in arguing for expanded local food access; their resolution text referenced national- and county-level food insecurity figures and called for county and educational agencies to act.

Quotes from youth speakers were presented during the testimony. Nidhi Kumar said the council aims "to be youth advocates for not only people in our county, but people in our community, bringing for issues that we see in our schools, in our neighborhoods onto a more county wide level." Legislative aide Shante Mosby and commissioners recognized the students and thanked them for the presentation. A former youth council alumnus, Robert Pawlowski, offered public comment in support of the program and praised the council's role in preparing young leaders.

Ending: The commission acted on the youth council's submission the same day, receiving the report and approving the related item that included the county's partnership to purchase a food truck. The youth council said it will continue advocacy work on food insecurity and related initiatives.