Join Don & Angela Putkela on their weekly podcast ”Welcome to Livingston” a podcast dedicated to highlighting the events, people, businesses, and community involvement that make Livingston County a great place to live, work in, and enjoy. As Realtors, Associate Brokers, and owners of the Putkela Group Real Estate Professionals, Don & Angela hope to offer valuable insight into the local market and the buying/selling process.
Episode 201: Gleaners: Making Sure Nobody in Livingston County Has to Choose Between Gas and Groceries
Food insecurity exists in Livingston County. It is more common than most people realize, and it looks nothing like what most people imagine.
Don and Angela welcome back Katie Choat, Senior Director of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeast Michigan, for her second appearance on the show. Katie was last on in Episode 88 when she was just finding her footing in the role and the difference between then and now is remarkable. The passion is undeniable.
In this conversation, Katie walks through everything Gleaners does for Livingston County, from their client choice pantry where guests shop like a grocery store, to the Wednesday fresh market where volunteers load up banana boxes with fresh produce, eggs, and milk for drive-up pickup. She covers their 17 pantry partners across the county, monthly school food mobiles in Fowlerville, Howell and Pinckney, and a remarkable collaboration with Trinity Health that brings a community health worker right into the pantry one day a week.
The numbers are staggering. Nearly 2 million pounds of food were distributed in Livingston County alone last year. 200 appointments every single day at Shared Harvest. And 70% of their shelf-stable inventory comes directly from community food drives.
Whether you want to donate, volunteer, host a food drive, or simply know that the resource exists if you ever need it, this episode is for you.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Gleaners’ Purpose
05:45 Reaching the Community and Fresh Markets
11:00 Getting Involved Through Volunteering and Donating
16:45 Community Partnerships and Impact
22:00 Accessing Services
Guest Links
https://www.gcfb.org/
https://donor.gcfb.org/page/mowdownhunger
5924 Serling Drive, Howell, MI 48843
https://www.facebook.com/Gleanersfan/
https://www.instagram.com/GleanersFoodBank/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/gleaners/
For more information on the Putkela Group and how to get connected, visit the links below:
Business Page: https://www.facebook.com/PutkelaGroup
Website: https://www.welcometolivingston.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/putkelagroup/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq9hM7gWPlaCw4nG89Wgd9Q
Phone: 1-888-PUTKELA (788-5352)
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our amazing sponsor! Visit their social media pages for more information.
James Paquette
Mortgage Sales Manager
Lake Michigan Credit Union - LMCU
NMLS ID# 533633
Direct Phone: (810) 263-6000
Cell Phone: (734) 604-2611
Website: https://www.lmcu.org/jamespaquette
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamespaquetteLMCU
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesapaquette/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMCU
24 Sept 2026
Episode 200: 200 Episodes of Welcome to Livingston: A Look Back at the Community We Love
This week, Don and Angela step back from their usual format to celebrate this milestone with a clips episode! Looking back at the small businesses, restaurants, health and wellness companies, nonprofits, events, and personal moments that have defined Welcome to Livingston across 200 weeks of showing up for this community.
From a $26,000 toilet to wood-fired pizza, from nonprofits serving 25,000 neighbors a year to events drawing 50,000 visitors to downtown Brighton, from their kids taking the stage in middle school theater productions to their son breaking down how to choose a college, this episode is a love letter to Livingston County and everyone who has been part of the journey.
Don and Angela also share what this show has meant to them personally, why giving small businesses a free voice has always been at its heart, and what they are looking forward to in the next 200 episodes.
If there is an episode you loved that did not make the highlight reel, they want to hear about it. Reach out at angela@putkelagroup.com or find them wherever you listen to podcasts.
Timestamps
00:00 Celebrating 200 Episodes of Livingston
04:43 Spotlighting Local Small Businesses
11:24 Culinary Gems of Livingston County
15:58 Health, Wellness, and Fitness Highlights
20:47 Impactful Nonprofits and Community Support
26:15 Celebrating Local Festivals and Events
32:08 Personal Reflections and Family Involvement
36:38 Looking Toward the Future
Show Links
For more information on the Putkela Group and how to get connected, visit the links below:
Business Page: https://www.facebook.com/PutkelaGroup
Website: https://www.welcometolivingston.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/putkelagroup/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq9hM7gWPlaCw4nG89Wgd9Q
Phone: 1-888-PUTKELA (788-5352)
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our amazing sponsor! Visit their social media pages for more information.
James Paquette
Mortgage Sales Manager
Lake Michigan Credit Union - LMCU
NMLS ID# 533633
Direct Phone: (810) 263-6000
Cell Phone: (734) 604-2611
Website: https://www.lmcu.org/jamespaquette
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamespaquetteLMCU
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesapaquette/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMCU
17 Sept 2026
Episode 199: Live from Downtown Brighton: Smokin' Rock-N-Blues Fest
This week, Don and Angela are recording live on location at the Smokin' Rock-N-Blues Fest in Downtown Brighton. Music in the background, ribs on the grill, people waving as they walk by, and all the good vibes that make this community so special.
In between festival sights and sounds, Don and Angela take a walk down memory lane through all the Downtown Brighton businesses they have featured over nearly 200 episodes, from Running Lab and Ivory Vines to Great Harvest Bread, Culture Beer and Cheese, Lake Michigan Credit Union and more. If you have ever driven past any of these and wondered what was inside, this episode is your sign to stop in.
Fair warning: you will be hungry by the end of this one.
Timestamps
04:38 Shoutout to local downtown businesses
08:33 Festival vibes and social districts
13:45 More local events
Show Links
For more information on the Putkela Group and how to get connected, visit the links below:
Business Page: https://www.facebook.com/PutkelaGroup
Website: https://www.welcometolivingston.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/putkelagroup/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq9hM7gWPlaCw4nG89Wgd9Q
Phone: 1-888-PUTKELA (788-5352)
Sponsor Links
Thanks to our amazing sponsor! Visit their social media pages for more information.
James Paquette
Mortgage Sales Manager
Lake Michigan Credit Union - LMCU
NMLS ID# 533633
Direct Phone: (810) 263-6000
Cell Phone: (734) 604-2611
Website: https://www.lmcu.org/jamespaquette
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamespaquetteLMCU
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesapaquette/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LMCU
Who has been a guest on Welcome To Livingston
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jaclyn Phillion
Allison Trepanier
Jason Schrock
Brian McCarthy
Elyse Moore
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
180,073
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 67 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
76
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
60
Contact Welcome To Livingston
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Welcome To Livingston
Who hosts Welcome To Livingston?
Angela and Don and Angela Putkela and Don Putkela host the show. Published by Speakeasy Podcast Network.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Welcome To Livingston take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of Welcome To Livingston?
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