The Cook Family Foundation Awards Three Recycling-Related Grants

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This fall, as part of our mission to spark positive community change and a more equitable and sustainable society, the Foundation announced new, recycling-related grant opportunities for local materials management projects. The grant announcement was an outcome of several months of collaboration with the Shiawassee Recycling Workgroup, a coalition of organizations working to strengthen the local economy, reduce environmental impacts, and improve quality of life for all residents through recycling and resource recovery.

The three newly-awarded grants were awarded to support the following projects:

DJ Root Feasibility Study – $35,000
Submitted by Shiawassee Health and Wellness

This grant will fund a feasibility/market analysis to evaluate the viability of transitioning the DJ Root Recycling Center to a public-private partnership that will ensure the continuation of a paper/cardboard recycling program.  A consultant will also be hired to identify work opportunities for both current and future employees with emotional and physical disabilities. The study will begin immediately and continue for about ten months. 

Shiawassee Recycles: Planning a Countywide Recycling Education and Marketing Initiative – $25,000
Submitted by Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce

This is a planning grant to launch Shiawassee Recycles, a countywide initiative that will create a “go to” site to connect residents, businesses, and municipalities with reliable recycling, composting, and materials management resources. With help from local partners including Greater Lansing Recyclers, Resourceful Recycling, and Lionbear Ventures, the final project’s aim is to increase public knowledge and awareness about recycling realities and benefits. Planning will begin immediately.

Owosso Curbside Recycling Public Input Project – $8,150
Submitted by the City of Owosso

The City of Owosso is gathering input from residents and businesses on the Michigan state mandate to offer curbside recycling via twelve listening and informational sessions facilitated by Dr. Kari Krantz. These sessions will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about what’s required, what the options are, and review what the current costs/models are in Owosso. Feedback will be compiled and shared in a final report to help guide City leadership for next steps and decisions. The sessions will begin in early 2026.

For more information about these, and other Foundation grant opportunities, click on the GRANTS tab at the top of this page or email Rachel Osmer at rachel@cookfamilyfoundation.org. 

 

Resilience and Hope: Addressing Food Insecurity and Building Stronger Local Communities

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How can we locally come together to address the most basic of needs in our community? The Cook Family Foundation seeks innovative local solutions to hunger needs and fresh produce access in Shiawassee County through collaboration, building the capacity of food providers, and direct assistance to the many nonprofit organizations that seek to address hunger.

In December of 2024, the Cook Family Foundation gave six local nonprofit organizations grants of $1,000 each to help their efforts to address hunger in Shiawassee County in tandem with a County food workgroup committed to food access efforts. 

The recipients of those grants included:

  • Durand Area Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry
  • Elsie Area Food Pantry 
  • Catholic Charities of Shiawassee & Genesee 
  • Angel’s Hands Community Outreach
  • Perry Food Bank 
  • Shiawassee Council on Aging


In 2025, the Foundation continued their efforts to work with community organizations, volunteers, churches, and public agencies that strive to reduce poverty and food insecurity – pairing them with a local fresh food source help residents in need. It was truly a win-win-win collaboration:

  • Local food pantries were able to obtain fresh food from a local grower. The food was delivered directly to the pantries.
  • Local food grower was paid for their services, helping subsidize their very valuable contributions.
  • Local residents had the opportunity to receive healthy food, along with classes on how to prepare it, to supplement canned/dried food sources available at the pantries. 


The distribution of produce began in early summer with lots of leafy greens. Throughout the summer, pantries received tomatoes, summer squash, greens, beans, eggplant, cabbage, and more. On occasion, deliveries included fresh flowers, bringing a smile to everyone involved. Thus far, approximately 2,000 pounds of produce were made available over five months.  It is projected that the program will continue to provide fresh food until the third week of October.

Owosso Organics owner, Pooh Stevenson, was the grower who participated in this pilot project, offering local organic produce to the pantries.

“Providing food for our local food pantries has been a deeply rewarding experience for all of us at Owosso Organics,” said Stevenson. “We feel we are making a positive impact in our community and the pantry organizers are very grateful for each delivery.”

Local pantries were thrilled to be able to offer locally-grown, fresh produce to their patrons.

“Fresh produce is one thing our clients have always wanted, but we were never able to obtain enough to serve our 100+ families due to its perishable nature and cost,” said Diane Pelky of the St. Mary’s Outreach Food Pantry in Durand.  “Our clients  have been thrilled when we were able to add the beautiful fresh produce to their food choices. Their faces just lit up when we told them we had fresh produce.”

Although very encouraged by this initial collaboration, this effort only begins to address hunger needs in Shiawassee County. With the end to COVID-era food assistance and impending cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, sometimes called food stamps) the Cook Family Foundation continues to be concerned about current and future food insecurity among many area residents.  Rising costs for food in the last two years have exacerbated the ability of lower-income families to afford sufficient food.

“This is not a faceless crisis,” said Rachel Osmer, Associate Director of the Cook Family Foundation. “These are our friends and neighbors. The Foundation is committed to addressing this county-wide need and to help facilitate efforts among our many partners so that our entire community is stronger – together.”

For more information, and to learn about opportunities for local growers to provide food for distribution locally, contact Rachel Osmer at rachel@cookfamilyfoundation.org.

COOK FAMILY FOUNDATION STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP NOMINEES EXPLORE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

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Thirty-eight of the most academically accomplished high school seniors from all ten high schools in the Shiawassee County area recently made a trip to Ann Arbor. (See below for the full listing of all nominees.) Photo Credit: Michael D-L Jordan/David Lorne Photographic

It’s the beginning of the 2025-26 school year in the Shiawassee region and that means it’s also time for some area high school seniors to learn about becoming a Wolverine!

Fifty-six of the Shiawassee County region’s most academically accomplished high school seniors have been nominated for scholarships to the University of Michigan by the Cook Family Foundation. One of these students will be selected to receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship from the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship endowment administered by the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. 

In order to assist them with their college selection, 38 of the nominees recently attended an overnight trip to the University of Michigan. There they had the opportunity to meet with admission officers, take a tour of the campus and stadium, attend an actual U-M class, and spend time with students from the Shiawassee County area presently enrolled at the University of Michigan.

Nomiated Students got to tour the Michigan Stadium and see the Football locker room.

“This annual trip to Ann Arbor allows students to experience a first-hand look and feel of what life is like at the University of Michigan, and interact with current University students from their community,” said Foundation Co-Executive Director Tom Cook. “These students are the rising stars of our area. We are committed to encouraging them to consider U-M for the next step in their educational pursuits.”

Each of the nominees will receive at least a $5,000 scholarship to attend U-M Ann Arbor. In addition to the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook scholarship process, the Cook Family Foundation provides at least a $3,000 scholarship to any student from the greater Shiawassee region with a 3.5 GPA or higher who attends any of the three campuses of the University of Michigan (Flint, Dearborn, or Ann Arbor).  

One of the following students will be selected to receive the four-year, full-tuition scholarship as mentioned above: from Byron: Mason Davis and Molly Webster; from Chesaning: Haley Garno, Mallory Howell, and Olivia Kovick; from Corunna: Gabrielle Aldrich, Nolan Carr, Payton Chandler, Sarabdil Chauhan, Elizabeth Dettman, Mackenzie LeCureux, and Gracie TerMeer; from Durand: Hailey Betts, Madison Dennis, Carver Purdy, Brock Randall, and Brandon Watson; from Laingsburg: Hazel Burley, Cody Cataline, Izabella Latuszek, Evan Lefevre, and Evan Porubsky; from Morrice: Parker Mockeridge; from New Lothrop: Sean Dammann, Micah Kisser, Logan Lienau, Brenden Olsen, Laura Sharpe, and Aidan Wenzlick; from Ovid-Elsie: Selena Arbogast, Lilian Bates, Emmylou Blaha, Gavin Chadwick, Jackson Custer, Vance Jorae, Ava Juhas, McKenzie Keck, Lilliana Kennedy, Alyson Moore, Sarah Newman, Kailee Parker, Nolan Rasch, and Daniel Topping; from Owosso: Addison Bila, Ellen DeLong, Danica Dwyer, Lydia Golombisky, Caroline Harper, Liam Hathaway, Gabrielle Hufnagel, Tyler Jurhs, Andrew Palatka, Sarina Shannon, Owen Skarich, and Harrison Sydow; and from Perry: Chandler Webb.

This is the 21st year of the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook scholarship, which is funded entirely by its namesakes’ endowment.  Past recipients of the Bruce and Jackie Cook Scholarship have included:  Emily Rathka from Laingsburg in 2025, Quinn Skarich from Owosso in 2024, Emily Smith from Chesaning in 2023, Dillan Morell from New Lothrop in 2022, Elizabeth Tolrud from Owosso in 2021, Mason Collard from Owosso and Kyah Ribble from Perry in 2020, Autumn Zwiernik from Laingsburg in 2019, Tyson Moore from Corunna in 2018, Elizabeth Hoornstra from Chesaning in 2017, Mitchell Lawrence from Byron in 2016, Nick Miller from Laingsburg in 2015, Nolan Wendling from New Lothrop in 2014, Emily Feuka from Perry in 2013, Sam Whaley from Perry in 2012, Adam Stewart from Laingsburg in 2011, Valerie Micol from Byron in 2010, Adam Dingens from Corunna in 2009, Randy Piper from Owosso in 2008, Dan Frechtling from Perry in 2007 and Kendra Frye from Owosso in 2006.

For assistance applying to U-M, or for more information on scholarships available for U-M Flint, U-M Dearborn,  or U-M Ann Arbor, visit the Cook Family Foundation at www.cookfamilyfoundation.org.