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Our Programs
The Allen Farmers Market – the first market in the state of Michigan to accept SNAP benefits back in 2005 – is a neighbor-crafted solution to a systemic issue: food insecurity. Featuring locally grown, raised, and prepared foods as well as live entertainment and seasonal festivals, this year-round market offers a vibrant space for neighbors to connect with one another and community resources.
Breadbasket Food Pantry distributes free produce, bread, and baked goods to Eastside residents each Monday at Allen Market Place, 1629 E Kalamazoo. Since March 2020, neighbors are welcome to stop by between 9 am – 1 pm to grab a number at the door, then return at 1 pm to claim their spot in line based on their number.
The Greatroom at Allen Place is a multifunctional facility operated by the Allen Neighborhood Center, and is available for rent on a periodic or regular basis. Rental spaces include the Greatroom (which includes the overlooking Mezzanine), Maker Kitchen powered by Lake Trust, Wash-Pack Kitchen, and Conference/Classroom. The Greatroom can be transformed for a wide variety of uses – graduation parties, small business development, weddings, workshops, meetings, and more!
Hunter Park GardenHouse is a neighborhood-based educational farm and community garden. Developed in 2008 as part of a community-led improvement plan for Hunter Park, the GardenHouse centers programming in three areas: home gardening education for all ages, fresh food access, and urban ecological restoration. Projects include a robust workshop series, the Urban Gardener Certificate Course, a free-to-all community garden and orchard called Edible Park, produce grown for donation, a spring plant sale, native wildflower demonstration gardens, and more.
The Incubator Kitchen Program utilizes commercial shared-use kitchens to help scale production and solidify operations for new food businesses. Since 2014, 90 entrepreneurs have moved through this pipeline. The shared-use model lowers both risk and cost of entry, provides access to one-on-one mentorship, trains in food cost analysis and labor controls, provides food safety training and certification, and assists in building standard operating procedures. The kitchens also offer free career and workforce training as well as an educational workshop series.
The Senior Discovery Group has been meeting every Wednesday for the last 24 years for ‘pretty good coffee and great conversation.' This program offers weekly enrichment for seniors with both educational and social programming, as well as snacks and guest presenters. Activities range from: international guest speakers from Michigan State University; elected officials presenting updates and receiving feedback; estate planning; bocce ball; crafts; age-friendly yoga, and more.
ANC’s Outreach & Engagement Center provides information, referral, and advocacy services, ensuring access to health, human, and housing resources. In addition to linking neighbors to its own programs and services, ANC operates a referral system with other agencies, employing a 'no wrong door' approach to supporting neighbors.
Veggie Box is a multi-farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program – a subscription to local food – that unites dozens of farmers and food producers to feed a common community. The goal is to have long-term impacts on mid-Michigan’s food system: substantial economic benefits, access to nutritionally-dense foods, and a stronger sense of place and belonging. Veggie Box prioritizes eating foods that are grown and produced by family, friends, and neighbors, and in turn nurtures more thoughtful relationships between food, land, and community.
Youth Service Corps (YSC) is a community-driven, youth-led job and life skill development program for neighbors between the ages of 11-17.
Take Root Garden Club is a curriculum-based gardening and nutrition education program for youth ages 5-10. Offered as a collaborative partnership with Lansing Parks & Recreation, Take Root Garden Club is hosted at Foster Community Center, only a few blocks away from Allen Neighborhood Center. A combination of hands-on and assessment-based learning guides the city’s youngest neighbors through topics related to health, nutrition, native plants, and urban gardening.