This weekend marks the unofficial kickoff to summertime fun. Here’s a roundup of many free, family-friendly activities including parks, recreation, beaches, swimming, and splash pads to check out this season.
The Blue Water River Walk Sculpture Dedication and Giitigan Planting is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21, along the Blue Water River Walk.
Recovery communities support a continuum of care by providing detox services, residential treatment, outpatient services, recovery supports, housing, and more.
In her new role leading Michigan Nonprofit Association, Kelley Kuhn talks the need for funding, her team's efforts to increase support for BIPOC leaders, especially, what organizations are carrying forward in the new normal, and a desire for a seat at the table. "There's this amazing infrastructure in the sector, that if leveraged," she says, "is efficient, effective, and understands the community, and its needs."
This article is the second in a two-part series about food policy councils and how SNAP-Ed can help to inform that work.
"Nationally, restorative justice has shown to cut recidivism rates by half," says Germaine Smith, assistant director of the Dispute Resolution Center in Washtenaw County. "It’s extremely successful because we get to the root of the trauma, or suffering, that brought everybody to that moment. The process goes deep, to consider how this harm impacts both individuals' lives. This is heart work, not head work."
A food policy council can influence, improve, or remove barriers in the food system that cause disparities, inequities, poor nutrition, or economic hardships.
"Our main goal as an organization is to get our members employed," says Sean Kivel, director of Port Huron's Blue Water Clubhouse. "This is a right everyone should be afforded, yet 90% of people with serious mental illness are under-employed or unemployed. Our organization will continue to offer the services needed to change that reality."
"In our community, we have a lot of great programs," says Eisha Branner, founder and CEO of E-Community Outreach Services in Pontiac. "We have a lot of great resources. But we also have a disconnect, especially in the last few years with COVID-19," she says. "There was nowhere near enough support for our families."
"During this crisis, I think, finally, there was a real recognition of how critical direct care workers are, especially if you look at the residential providers," says Shaindle Braunstein, CEO of JARC, a nonprofit serving individuals with developmental disabilities across Oakland County. "We were the only people standing between many people and homelessness."
Our Partners
Common Ground Is Brewing
Support local stories and receive our signature roast straight to your door when you join at the Standard level (or above).
Drink Better, Read Local
