Meet Double Up Champion: U.S. Congressman Dan Kildee

Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program is on a mission to support our local farmers and communities and make fruits and veggies an accessible, affordable option for Michigan shoppers who use SNAP. But this work simply wouldn’t be possible without the farmers markets and neighborhood grocery stores, community partners, legislators, and shoppers at the very heart of our program: our Double Up Champions.    

Meet Double Up Champion: United States Congressman Dan Kildee, Michigan’s 8th District  

Our Double Up Champion blog series celebrates the Michiganders who have made the Double Up program a statewide success (and national model) since 2009 — champions like United States Congressman Dan Kildee, who represents Michigan’s 8th District in Central Michigan. 

Double Up is funded by a combination of state, federal, and philanthropic dollars, and supporters like Congressman Kildee help ensure that the program can serve Michigan households, farmers, and food retailers across our state.  

Congressman Kildee has been a strong advocate for expanding successful food programs like Double Up, including getting legislation into the 2018 bipartisan Farm Bill to promote healthy and locally grown fruits and vegetables at Michigan’s farmers markets and local grocery stores. In 2023, Congressman Kildee joined Congressman Rick Crawford to introduce the GusNIP Expansion Act, a bipartisan bill calling to strengthen the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program in the next Farm Bill that would ensure more families can access fruits and vegetables while also strengthening our state’s farm economy.   

“Thank you to Fair Food Network for your partnership throughout the years. Our work together is based on our shared belief that every mid-Michigan family should have access to healthy foods, said Kildee. “During my time in Congress, I am proud to have worked with the organization to expand and improve the Double Up Food Bucks program to increase access to nutritious, local foods and support our mid-Michigan farmers.” 

We are grateful for Congressman Kildee’s support and wish him well as he ends his service to the United States Congress on January 3, 2025. We look forward to him continuing his positive impact on Michigan communities as the Community Foundation of Greater Flint’s next President and CEO.