Part 2 – Fighting Hunger with Information: Tech, Outreach, and Support Systems

Cass Tretniak, an outreach navigator with Community and Home Supports, brought a major solution to the table: a custom Google map of Detroit that helps homeless and hungry residents locate food, shelter, medical help, and more. Her map includes soup kitchens, laundry and shower stations, LGBT+ services, affordable housing listings, and transportation routes—all updated for real-time accuracy.

Cass emphasized that hunger isn’t just about food. It’s about knowing where to find food, feeling safe when asking for it, and trusting the people offering it. That trust begins with basics: water, snacks, socks, and a sense of dignity.

Natasha Lee applauded the app-based tool for bridging literacy gaps and tech fluency among youth. As Lori pointed out, too many teens and young adults have never been taught how to navigate life beyond survival mode. "They didn't get a chance to be dorky 20-year-olds. They were robbed of that because of trauma," Cass said.

Together, the panel reinforced the power of kindness and tech-savvy outreach as a means to fight food insecurity.