By John Clore | Investigative Journalist | 4/1/2025 at 8:26 AM
MLive Spins Soup Kitchen Grant Cut—But Here’s What They’re Not Telling You
In typical fashion, MLive is once again misinforming the public—this time by framing a routine audit and reallocation of federal grant dollars as a “Trump assault on Detroit soup kitchens.”
Let’s set the record straight.
Earlier today, MLive ran a dramatic headline claiming that the Trump administration “axed millions for soup kitchen upgrades without warning.” The article focuses on a $20 million environmental justice grant—not soup kitchen operations, not food programs, not shelters—but a climate-focused solar panel project. The money was awarded to a Detroit nonprofit, EcoWorks, in December under Biden’s EPA initiative.
The idea? Install solar panels and backup batteries on 20 soup kitchens and pantries to convert them into “resilience hubs” for climate disasters.
Sounds noble. But here’s what MLive failed to mention:
The Grant Wasn’t for Food or Operations
The $20 million wasn’t intended to provide more food or beds for the needy. It was earmarked for infrastructure upgrades related to climate resilience—solar installations and backup systems for hypothetical climate events. Great in theory. But many of these facilities hadn’t begun work, and no transparency was given on how the funds were to be spent.
The Real Reason It Was Pulled: Accountability and Oversight
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reviewed these “environmental justice” grants and found significant problems:
Poor oversight
No clear deliverables
Funds sitting unused
Duplicate initiatives in other states
In fact, many of these grants were fast-tracked during the final months of the Biden administration—with millions handed out under vague terms and little accountability.
DOGE is doing what it was designed to do: cut waste and root out fraud.
-
DOGE Travel mug with a handle
$25.00 Add to cart -
Unique D.O.G.E. Ceramic Mug – 11oz & 15oz
$7.68 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Gulf of America Ceramic Mug – 11oz & 15oz
$7.68 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
DEI
$15.50 – $24.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Are Soup Kitchens Losing Food Support? No.
Despite MLive’s emotional bait, this cut does NOT affect food delivery, meal funding, or emergency sheltering. Programs like:
USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program
SNAP
Faith-based food banks and private donors
…are all still operating. And in many cases, federal resources are being redirected back into direct aid instead of flashy green projects that don’t serve immediate needs.
A Deeper Dive Into Ecoworks
As mentioned, EcoWorks was awarded a substantial amount of money in December under Biden’s EPA initiative.
EcoWorks is a Detroit-based nonprofit dedicated to creating “just, equitable, and inclusive” solutions to climate change and community sustainability challenges. Founded in 1981, the organization focuses on initiatives such as energy efficiency, renewable energy adoption, and climate resilience in underserved communities.
Political Affiliation: EcoWorks operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which legally requires it to remain nonpartisan and refrain from political activities. While the organization does not publicly align with any political party, its mission emphasizes environmental “justice and equity” values often associated with progressive movements.
Grants and Funding Over the Past Five Years: In recent years, EcoWorks has been the recipient of several grants:
Community Change Grant (2024): In December 2024, EcoWorks was awarded a $20 million Community Change Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Sacred Spaces Clean Energy Grants (2023): EcoWorks served as the lead technical provider for this initiative, which received a $1.24 million grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
Porter Family Foundation Grants: EcoWorks has been listed as a leading grantee by the Porter Family Foundation, which supports organizations focused on climate and environmental initiatives. Specific grant amounts and dates are not detailed.
Decarbonization and Electrification Project (2024): In partnership with “Inclusive Prosperity Capital, Inc. (IPC)” and Michigan Saves, EcoWorks secured funding to fully electrify and decarbonize their building.
EcoWorks has been awarded approximately $21.2 million in grants over the past five years.
Why This Raises Red Flags:
Political Alignment
EcoWorks promotes progressive policies around climate justice, which align with the Democratic party. These affiliations can sometimes influence funding pipelines.Massive Grant for an NGO
$20M is a huge award for a regional nonprofit. If grants of this size go out without rigorous auditing or results-based tracking, it invites misuse — or at least inefficiency.Unclear Oversight
There is no indication (publicly) that EcoWorks underwent a competitive bidding process or had to meet strict performance benchmarks for this award.
So Could This Be a Money Funnel?
While there’s no public smoking gun yet, the setup certainly checks the boxes for what could potentially be used to funnel money:
✅ Politically aligned nonprofit
✅ Large, loosely tracked grant
✅ Soft performance metrics
✅ Minimal media scrutiny
✅ Happened under a broader pattern of poorly managed federal grants
MLive’s Narrative: Fear and Fiction
Once again, legacy media like MLive is engaging in cherry-picked outrage, choosing projects that make for splashy headlines while ignoring the billions in federal waste that deserves scrutiny. It’s not journalism—it’s advocacy.
Their claim that “Trump officials killed soup kitchen aid” is not just misleading—it’s manipulative.
What they don’t report:
Much of Biden’s grant money went to politically aligned nonprofits.
Michigan schools and cities still have unspent millions they’re sitting on while blaming others.
Final Word
This isn’t about solar panels—it’s about media spin, financial mismanagement, and a desperate attempt to paint responsible governance as cruelty. The real scandal isn’t Trump cutting a questionable grant—it’s how much money was handed out under false pretenses and never accounted for.
Don’t fall for the headline. Get the facts.
DOGE on Michigan Wasteful Spending: LGBTQ, DEI, and Transgender Study Funds Could Fix the Roads Instead!
by: John Clore | 3/20/2025 at 9:11 AM LANSING, MI – After writing Shocking Waste: Federal Audit Uncovers Billions Wasted on Foreign Social Programs And seeing countless people on social media say, “We need DOGE in Michigan,” I decided to DOGE Michigan’s wasteful spending—here’s what I uncovered. Michigan’s state government
Sponsor
Nessel’s Lawsuit Against Trump: A Smokescreen to Hide 2020 Election Cover-Up?
By John Clore | Investigative Journalist | 4/1/2025 at 5:29 PM Nessel’s Diversion? Michigan AG Sues Trump Admin Over COVID Fund Cuts While Facing Her Own Scandal As Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel launches a headline-grabbing lawsuit against the Trump administration over rescinded COVID-era health grants, people are calling it
Sponsor
