State Representative Betsy Coffia

13 hours ago

♥️Well this is a little surreal. ❤️

There are a lot of things that pull on my attention in any given day.

There are oven timers and phone calls. My children and my brother. Coffee decisions and storage units. Special orders and grocery lists. Employees and customers. Visiting friends and dinner plans. Bread that needs to be baked, messages that need to be answered, and approximately 35 other things I was definitely supposed to remember without writing down.

And somewhere in the middle of all of those things, there are emails. And sometimes I even get the chance to check them.

A few months ago, buried in the normal chaos of life, motherhood, and running a bakery, I opened one telling me that I had been selected as one of the Leaders of Northern Michigan.

And I am so very humbled to say, it was one of the most meaningful emails I’ve ever received.

I’ve won bakery awards before, and every single one of them means an incredible amount to me. I’m proud of the bread we make. I’m proud of what this little business has become.

But this one was different, because it wasn’t really about bread. It let the focus be on who we are and who we want to be.

I sat down and spent hours thinking about how I wanted to respond to the interview. I wrote about starting this business as a broke mom who needed to make a few extra dollars. I wrote about the people who believed in me, the customers who became friends, the community that carried this business through some really hard seasons, and why I’ve always believed that if I’m going to have the privilege of being known in my community, I have a responsibility to use that for something good.

And then yesterday, I got to hold the finished article in my hands. And of everything I said, this is what they chose to put across the top:

“I don’t worry much about bread.
I know how to make bread.
I worry about people.

I want to be a good steward of the trust they’ve placed in me…
I want to continue building something that brings more kindness, connection, and community into the world.”

And maybe that’s why this one means so much. Because I don’t really want the focus of the bakery to be just that we make good bread.

I want our legacy to be that we did something good with the life, the business, the community, and the people we are trusted with.

Thank you for the support, encouragement, and ridiculous amount of joy that is constantly thrown in the direction of my little bakery.

It’s a really big deal to me.

Love you all. ❤️ ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Betsy Coffia

1 day ago

🌞☀️ SOLAR POWER AT WORK!

The solar portion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant’s Rooftop Solar and Battery Energy Storage System project is substantially complete! Installation of the battery system is anticipated in the coming weeks.

The project was made possible through a $1,685,479 Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) Low Carbon Infrastructure Enhancement & Development Grant and is estimated to save the City nearly $100,000 annually in energy and demand costs.

And we’re already seeing encouraging results: early indicators show daytime energy usage from the grid is matching what was previously used at night! That means the solar system is already making a noticeable impact on the plant’s daytime energy needs.

We’ll share more metrics once we have a solid period of data collection. ☀️🔋

#traversecity #cityoftc #solarpower #renewable #renewableenergy ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Betsy Coffia

3 days ago

🙏🏽♥️Little victories 💫

Justin Kinsella’s journey through homelessness began with a house fire. In 2023, his parents’ house burned down, and when the rebuilding project was almost finished, they told him to leave. They had rebuilt the family home without a room for him. He was 19 years old.

Not knowing what to do, he contacted his therapist, who managed to get him a bed at Safe Harbor.

Over the next two years, Justin made connections that helped him move toward the path he is now following: serving as a tour guide at Yellowstone National Park, a position he started last April. In this role, he escorts visitors around the park in a historic yellow bus, introducing them to lesser-known areas and offering a new perspective on Yellowstone’s most popular landmarks.

“Not many people that came from where I came from get an opportunity like this,” said Justin, now 21. “I feel lucky. I earned this by working hard, but I also had a lot of people who helped me lay the foundation to get my dream job.”

Read the entire inspiring story of Justin's journey on the Safe Harbor website. Click the link in the comments below to check it out! Thank you, Justin, for sharing your story with us. We're so happy for you!

**Justin’s story is part of our new series highlighting shelter guests' small (and big!) breakthroughs and how these mark the beginning of lasting change.** ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Betsy Coffia

4 days ago

1 year ago to the day. Honestly I look too dang cheerful for what they were about to do to my long suffering skull and the fact it was 6 am. 😉
Still here. Still me. Deeply grateful for that and also… Health care is a HUMAN RIGHT. Not a luxury like a yacht or a sports car. Time for our politicians to act like it and finally act to ensure every American gets the same great healthcare that the President, Congress, governors, and state legislators receive. Just like every other developed nation already does. Let’s go. ... See MoreSee Less

State Representative Betsy Coffia

6 days ago

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State Representative Betsy Coffia

7 days ago

If you've already applied for FEMA assistance after the severe storms and flooding we experienced earlier this year, here's what comes next: FEMA will review your application; they may contact you from an unknown number for more information or schedule an inspection and a decision will be sent by mail or online.

If you're approved, assistance may help cover eligible disaster-related expenses. Recovery takes time, but you don't have to navigate this alone. If you need help, reach out to my office at 517-373-3817 or [email protected]. ... See MoreSee Less