Bailey is a part of the Community Impact team at the food bank, and she specializes in all things Upper Peninsula! Check out the Q&A to learn more about her and her role.
What do you do at the food bank?
As the UP Agency Specialist, my main responsibility is monitoring agencies in the entirety of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I visit every agency in the UP once every two years (that’s about 100 agencies!), and make sure they have everything that they need, as well as ensure that clients are having a dignified experience when they go to these agencies. I also do a lot of work on grant programs like Recipe for Success here in the UP, as well as work on grant opportunities.
How did you end up in this role?
Before my job at the food bank, I worked for a small United Way in eastern Michigan where I did data and volunteer coordination, direct services, agency work and grant writing. The agency work I did there set me up pretty perfectly for my current role. I always really wanted to move to the UP and work remotely, so I started looking for jobs that met my needs and then I found this one! It was the best decision I’ve ever made.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I think the most fulfilling part of my job so far has been the work we have done in the western six counties in the UP. Since I started in February 2023, we have made significant progress in the West UP and have been able to get 300,000+ pounds of food to those counties, as well as adding more mobile food pantries. My favorite part of my job has been my amazing team. They are truly the most wonderful and hardworking people I have ever had the pleasure of working with!
Any standout memories?
Last summer, we were working on our Recipe for Success program and I was helping pass out recipes in Norway, MI. I actually ended up speaking to a woman I knew from my hometown in the Lower Peninsula, and I got to speak to her about her experience on moving to the UP and her experience with hunger. I think we can forget how small the world really is, and it was really eye-opening to see someone I knew experiencing hunger. It goes to show that we can never know someone’s situation, and we should never judge someone for getting food from a pantry.
What motivates you to fight hunger?
There are a multitude of reasons that motivate me to fight hunger, but one of the strongest reasons is that I hold the belief that food is a human right. In our country, we waste about half of the food we produce, and then make working-class people foot the bill. There is, and always has been, more than enough food to go around to everyone who needs it, and yet we see food insecurity rates continue to grow. It’s especially frustrating here in the UP, since food prices are higher than they are downstate, and there are many food deserts across the peninsula. I want to make sure neighbors in the UP are getting the same access to food as neighbors have downstate.
What do you love about working in the Upper Peninsula?
The people. I think there is something to be said about the resilience of Yoopers and the love and care they have for their communities. Growing up downstate and then coming here has been an interesting experience; there is such a stronger sense of community here than anywhere else I have ever lived. The people here truly care for their neighbors, and it’s been a very beautiful thing to see and experience. And of course, it’s incredibly beautiful here, so that’s a plus!
What do you like to do in your free time?
A lot of things! I notoriously have too many hobbies. I mainly like knitting, crocheting and sewing. I also do a lot of community theater and sing in the Marquette Choral Society. My partner and I are avid hikers, and I have recently gotten into bird watching as well. I have been a coin collector my whole life! We also have two cats (who are my pride and joy), Chanel and Phoebe.