Category Archives: Non-Profits

Local Fellowship of Christian Athletes to host event with baseball great Darryl Strawberry speaking

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Darryl Strawberry (Supplied/FCA)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Matt Diener, State Director of the Michigan Fellowship of Christian Athletes, believes that if 2020 and the pandemic have “taught nothing else, it’s that the human spirit is more capable and enduring than we ever imagined.” And he has many stories to prove his point.

And one of the stories that has and continues to encourage and grow hope in others is that of Major League Baseball legend — and one of life’s ‘overcomers’ — Darryl Strawberry.

So it is fitting that the Kent County Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ annual FCA Pro Athlete Event (formerly known as the Pro Athlete Breakfast), scheduled for Saturday, April 10, at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, will include a talk by Strawberry.

This event, free and open to all members of the community, will be used to create awareness of ministry outreach and to raise funds to support programs and activities associated with the Kent County FCA, according to a FCA statement.

“We are excited for attendees to hear the powerful story of how God has worked in Darryl’s life, and to highlight the ministry of FCA that has been serving the local sports community for over 65 years,” Diener said in supplied material.

Strawberry is a former 8-time MLB National League All-Star status, with four World Series Titles, a National League home run leader, and was 1983 National League Rookie of the Year.

While incredibly successful in his career, Strawberry’s personal life was plagued with addictions, abuse, divorces, cancer, jail-time, and other issues. Strawberry, however, is widely known to have found redemption and restoration in Jesus Christ, and “lives to share the wisdom and grace of his experience with others,” according to the statement.
 

This event will also feature several local leaders within the Michigan FCA organization to share their experience with the ministry, as well as their vision and hope for future growth.

FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in America and focuses on serving local communities by engaging, equipping, and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ.
 

Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ.

The Rev. Billy Graham once said, “A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.”

The FCA and Calvary Church “have worked hard to ensure proper distancing and a safe environment” under current COVID protocols. Since seating is limited, online registration is highly encouraged. To register online visit michiganfca.org/proathlete.

Snapshots: WKTV Journal-produced videos you might have missed

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By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“We wanted to find something a little more competitive for our kids … We wanted to make it a more equitable playing field for our student athletes.”

Jason Faasse, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools athletic director

On why the Legends will be moving to a new conference for 2021-22

See video here.

Talking with a leader about ‘Black leadership’

WKTV Journal In Focus recently talked with Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack, who late last year was named to co-chair Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new state initiative, the Black Leadership Advisory Council. Go here for the story.

Dr. Afriyie Randle

Talking with ‘Dr. Randle’ about dementia

In a recent “Medical Moments with Dr. Randle”, she talked about the different stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia, and how early detection can help in assuring your loved one is cared for properly. Go here for the story.

Feeding America West Michigan currently owns 30 trucks, that drove about 418,000 miles in 2019, according to the organization. (Feeding America WM)

Talking with a local non-profit ‘Feeding America’

During a recent visit to the studio of WKTV Journal In Focus, Feeding America West Michigan looked back on 40 years of helping to feed those at risk of hunger after experiencing a 2020 that presented both challenges and opportunities. Go here for the story.

(Not so) Fun Fact:

20

There are at least 20 invasive species of plants being battled in Kent County by landowners and the Kent Conservation District. Jessie Schulte, of the Kent Conservation District, worked with WKTV to explain the problem and a District-led strike force. Video on the issue.

TreeTops Collective speakers series begins on International Women’s Day

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Treetops Collective is hosting a four-part speaker series, “Women are Resilient,” beginning today, on International Women’s Day, March 8, and continuing throughout the month of March.

One of Treetops Collective’s core values is a “posture of listening” that recognizes that “each person is an expert of their own experience,” according to supplied material. As a practice of this value, the Women are Resilient speaker series is “an invitation to learn from the strength, creativity, and leadership displayed by women throughout West Michigan who are engaged in transformative work and relationships.”

All four events will take place online and are free to the public.

According to the Treetops Collective website the group’s focus is making West Michigan a place “where refugee women can sink their roots down and flourish with their families for generations to come.”

Also, the March program includes a special opportunity to support local businesses and the work of Treetops Collective by purchasing a cocktail kit for our final celebration of women entrepreneurs.

This series is supported by the partnership of Eastern Kille Distillery and Emme’s Plantain Chips.
 

Learn more and register for all four events at treetopscollective.org/resilient2021. 

RunGR to host in-person, virtual St. Patrick’s Day 5K, supporting Riding for Ryan effort

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St. Patrick’s Day runs were a common-place thing in March before 2020 … and COVID-19. Hopefully things will change in 2021, including having a local Shamrock run. (Creative Commons/from a Baltimore run in 2019)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The local running club RunGR has had to cancel many events over the last year, but they are planning to keep their St. Patrick’s Day tradition “running” with a 5K run this year as part of the RunGR Shamrock Shenanigans 5K on March 20.

With the safety of participants in mind, the RunGR Shamrock Shenanigans 5K will be using both Millennium and Meadows Parks in Grand Rapids to spread the course and participants out. They also have created registration by 5-minute time blocks, with each block having a registration cap to limit the number of people gather before and after the race, as well on the course itself.

There is also created a virtual participation option for those who may not able to join be present at the starting line.

According to the group’s website, RunGR’s mission is to “bring running to the Grand Rapids community in a way that enables our members to live healthier and happier lives by providing the structure, organization, support, training, guidance, and friendships necessary to push themselves to new limits and achieve their running goals.”

This year’s run will also be a benefit for Riding for Ryan, a program which promotes the safety of young bike riders through visibility and awareness.

“Riding for Ryan’s goal is to provide free bicycle safety flags to kids to help keep them safe as they enjoy one of the most cherished and memorable activities,” according to the RunGR promotional material. “As the temperatures warm-up, it is a good time to make sure kids are visible to cars and other cyclists while enjoying their bikes.”

RunGR’s goal is to raise more than $1,000, and A+ Family Medicine has committed to matching the first $350 of donations.

For more information about Riding for Ryan visit ridingforryan.org/.

To reserve your spot at the RunGR Shamrock Shenanigans 5K starting line or to learn more, visit runsignup.com/Race/MI/GrandRapids/RunGRShamrock5K. For more information on RunGR, visit rungr.com.

Muskegon Museum of Arts exhibits celebrate 100th anniversary of Friends of Art support

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Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984), “Half Dome, Merced River, Winter from The Photographs of Yosemite Suite” (Silverprint photograph, 1938. Gift of the Friends of Art, 1989)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

This year, the Muskegon Museum of Art is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Friends of Art, an independent non-profit organization established in 1921 that promotes the study of art and supports the museum.

Two exhibitions organized by the MMA recognize the contributions of the Friends of Art, highlighting works of art that the group has contributed to the MMA over the past century — including one exhibit featuring iconic photographs of Ansel Adams which opened Feb. 18.

The exhibit “Friends of Art: 100 Years” features almost 30 artworks donated by the “Friends” to the museum’s permanent collection over the decades.

Tunis Ponsen (American, 1891-1968), “Yacht Club Pier” (Oil on canvas, 1931. Gift of Friends of Art, 1931)

“Visitors will discover a rich diversity of objects along with some of the museum’s most significant works of art, including pieces by James Richmond Barthé and Paul Howard Manship and one of our signature paintings, Tunis Ponsen’s ‘Yacht Club Pier’,” Art Martin, MMA senior curator, said in supplied material.

The exhibition runs through May 2, and includes a video, “Friends of Art 100th Year Anniversary”, which tells the story of the history of the group through the years. The video and exhibition information can be found here.

Also on exhibit as part of the celebration is “Ansel Adams: The Photographs of Yosemite Suite” which features 24 iconic images taken in the 1940s of Yosemite National Park — the location and pictures that defined Adams’s internationally celebrated career.

In preview material of the exhibit, it is stated: “The artistic and technical contributions Ansel Adams made to photography established him as a legendary figure in American art. Seen by millions of viewers during his lifetime, Adams’s images documented the American wilderness, capturing transitory moments of light and weather that gave his subjects an emotive power not previously seen in landscape photography.”

Friends of Art members purchased the photographs for the museum collection in 1989. The exhibition runs through May 9.

Paul Howard Manship (American, 1885-1966), “Flight of Europa” (Bronze on onyx base, 1928. Gift of the Friends of Art, 1944)

The museum is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and closed Mondays. Health and safety measures include limited occupancy in galleries and other public spaces, enhanced cleaning, and mask wearing is required for guests and staff.

Visit muskegonartmuseum.org for museum updates, visitor information, and exhibition information.

On Tap: a drink with a president, looking ahead to warm weather (and the 19th hole)

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Journeyman’s Not a King Rye Whiskey. (Journeyman Distillery)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Legend if not history has it that following his victory over the British, Gen. George Washington — soon to be the nation’s first president — was celebrated by the masses as the “King of America” but he famously responded by stating that he was “Not a King.”

To celebrate Washington and his also legendary distillery prowess, and almost all presidents, in the month of the President’s Day holiday, Journeyman Distillery again offers a patriotic tribute to our nation’s first distiller-in-chief with its Not a King Rye Whiskey release.

Batch #6 of Journeyman’s Not a King Rye was officially released at the Three Oaks distillery on Feb. 12, but to find where you can get it locally check out journeymandistillery.com/find-your-spirit.

Handcrafted from grain to barrel to bottle, with a mash of 60 percent rye, 35 percent corn and 5 percent malted barley, the limited release is, according to supplied material, “an interpretation of Washington’s original rye whiskey recipe” that  “takes drinkers back to the late 1700s with nuanced flavors reminiscent of the spirit America’s original settlers would enjoy.”

 

“The Crossing” has Jeff Daniels as Gen. Washington. (crop of publicity poster)

Aged 3 years in 30 gallon barrels, it’s the makings for a perfect Old Fashioned or Manhattan, with a twist of history, we are told. The offered-up mixology is a drink called “The Founding Father (2 oz. Not a King Rye Whiskey and 1 oz. Amaretto, shaken over ice and strained into a clean or ice-filled rocks glass, then finished with an orange peel.)

Me, on a cold February night, I say find the movie “The Crossing” — a fine period piece starring the great Jeff Daniels as the General — on your television, pour a clean shot, and drink with the president.

For more information about Journeyman Distillery, visit journeymandistillery.com.

North Kent Golf Course. (Courtesy)

Michigan Brewers Guild look forward to teeing off

The Michigan Brewers Guild usually holds big beer festivals each year, including one in Kent Country, and may still yet later in 2021. But this year, as last, things are different. Still the guild is looking forward to sunny summer days on the golf course, with a beer or two at the 19th hole, by announcing plans for three “Great Beer State Golf Outings” coming up this year, the first being local, on Wednesday, June 9, at North Kent Golf Course in Rockford.

The other outings will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 11, at Forest Akers Golf Course in Lansing, and Saturday, Oct. 9, at Treetops Resort in Gaylord.

“The golf outings we have planned are not intended to replace our larger events and we are hopeful that we will be hosting beer festivals again this year,” Scott Graham, executive director of the guild, said in supplied material. “We are looking for additional ways to raise operating funds for our non-profit trade association, while also getting together with some of our brewery members, allied businesses and beer enthusiasts in a fun and safe way.”

Registration for teams and sponsors the first outing will open in March. Details for all events will be posted soon on MiBeer.com under the EVENTS tab.

Formed in 1997, the Michigan Brewers Guild represents nearly 300 member breweries.

To heck with Punxsutawney Phil, summer is coming

New Holland Brewing is ignoring Punxsutawney Phil’s disheartening winter prediction for 2021 and has released a new style of craft beverage, a Watermelon Spritz — one part seltzer, one part sparkling ale, and a healthy splash of natural watermelon.

New Holland Watermelon Spritz can (Supplied)

If that doesn’t say summer nothing does.

The hybrid beverage, according to supplied material, is the result of brewing a wheat beer that is high in fruity esters, combined with natural watermelon and fizzy seltzer for a “bubbly, crisp and slightly tart” beverage with bold fruit flavor. Watermelon Spritz comes in at a “respectable” 4.3 percent ABV.

Watermelon Spritz hit the market this month in 6 packs of 12-oz. cans — their Summer Ale — a tart IPA  — will become available in May in the same way. For more information visit NewHollandBrew.com.

WKTV Journal In Focus hosts First Steps Kent, latest on Kent County early childhood support efforts

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In November 2018, Kent County voters approved the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage to fund more than $5 million annually, from 2018-2024, to be directed toward community-based early childhood health and support programs. First Steps Kent was selected to lead the program.

In late 2020, the latest round of funding was approved by the Kent County Board of Commissioners, after First Steps Kent and its Resident Proposal Review Committee recommended funding 12 programs — including a focus on parental outreach and involvement.

Continuing WKTV’s coverage of the program and its efforts, and to bring you details of the latest funding and the program’s overall status, we will talk in studio with Joslyn Ward, a Kentwood parent serving on the review committee, and we welcome back to WKTV —  this time via Zoom — Annemarie Valdez, First Steps Kent President.

For more information about First Steps Kent, visit FirstStepsKent.org.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

World Affairs Council’s virtual series continues with rescheduled Korea-focused discussion, two other events this month

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President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, shake hands as they meet for the first time, June 12, 2018, at the Capella Hotel in Singapore. (state.gov)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The World Affairs Council of West Michigan (WACWM) continues its virtual series of special discussions and its Great Decisions Global Discussions 2021 series this week, starting with the rescheduling of a special program on the future of Korea and its alliance with the United States.

The program “The Korean — U.S. Alliance”, originally scheduled to take place in mid- January, was rescheduled to Feb. 4. The program will feature the U.S. Department of State’s Dr. Jennifer Brannon, Sung-hoon Park, of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S., and Korea Economic Institute vice president Mark Tortola. A program of the World Affairs Councils of America in partnership with the Korea Economic Institute, this will focus on broadening and deepening public understanding of Korea and the U.S.-Korea relationship.

While the program was available live is is also viewable as an archive on YouTube here.

The WACWM’s Great Decisions Global Discussions series will be live-streamed to YouTube Mondays from 6-7:15 p.m., starting Feb. 8 and running through March 29. The public is invited and the webinars will be viewable live and as archived on-demand. The cost to the public is $10 per discussion, $60 for a series pass, with prior registration required.

The February series dates, topics and guest speaker are as follows:
 

Feb. 8, “North Korea: Getting Diplomacy Back on Track” with Suzanne DiMaggio, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

After a historical summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in 2018, hopes of a change in relations have faded. Now, with a new president in the White House, landslide legislative victories in South Korea, and rumors of an unwell Kim, do new dynamics have the potential to change a perennially thorny situation?

DiMaggio is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Board Chair of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a new think tank she co-founded in 2019, and is currently directing a U.S.-DPRK dialogue that has included several visits to North Korea. As part of that process, she facilitated the first official discussions between the Trump administration and North Korean government representatives in Oslo in May 2017.

Feb. 15, “Have We Learned Anything about this Pandemic?” with Andrew Natsios, director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, The Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University.

COVID-19 took the world by surprise, but it shouldn’t have been surprising. The question remains how our global health systems can be more responsive and resilient to pandemics. Professor Andrew Natsios will discuss the structural problems in the World Health Organization that have created dysfunctions laid bare by COVID-19; the need for a global pandemic early warning system and how it might be achieved; and next steps in vaccine distribution in the developing world in light of great power competition and larger global health challenges.

Professor Natsios is an executive professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs. He was previously a Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is also the author of three books: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1997), The Great North Korean Famine (2001), and Sudan, South Sudan, and Darfur: What Everyone Needs to Know.

Feb. 22, “The European Union: The New Agenda Post-Brexit” with Tomas Baert , Head of Trade and Agriculture, European Delegation to the U.S.

Containing 5.8 percent of the world population but accounting for 18 percent of world GDP, the European Union holds enormous influence in the world, driving economic growth, advancing sustainable development, and championing peace and security by promoting democratic norms. While Brexit has been the focus, other key priorities of the Union remain: stabilizing transatlantic relations, continuing response to the COVID crisis, leading in the climate fight, and transforming the digital economy.

Baert, Head of Trade and Agriculture for the European Delegation to the United States focuses on the future of the EU in this presentation. Prior to his work in the U.S., Baert was the Head of Unit for Trade Strategy at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade). From 2014 to 2016, he was an assistant to Director-General for Trade, advising on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and WTO negotiations.

For more information and to register, visit worldmichigan.org/greatdecisions2021.

Feeding America West Michigan, looking back and forward, on new episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

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Juliana Ludema, communication specialist for Feeding America West Michigan, with host Ken Norris, on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus in January 2021. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

During a recent visit to the studio of WKTV Journal In Focus, Feeding America West Michigan is looking back on 40 years of helping to feed those at risk of hunger after experiencing a 2020 that presented both challenges and opportunities.

Juliana Ludema, communication specialist for Feeding America West Michigan, on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus in January 2021. (WKTV)

The local non-profit will be honoring 40 people who have been part of this journey through its “40 Years 40 Faces” series. With us is Juliana Ludema, communication specialist from the organization, and we will talk with her about what food banks do, the history of Feeding America West Michigan, and find out about its efforts before, during and after the current pandemic time of extraordinary local need.

For more information about Feeding America West Michigan, visit feedwm.org.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Local Feeding America non-profit celebrates 40-year history with the public invited to share stories

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Feeding America West Michigan, along with its partners and supporters, have been fighting hunger alongside in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula for 40 years. (FeedWM)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Feeding America West Michigan is celebrating its 40th year of fighting hunger alongside its partners and supporters in 2021. And, throughout the year, the local non-profit will be honoring 40 people who have been part of this journey through its “40 Years 40 Faces” series.

While the group announced its first honored person last week — the Rev. Donald Eddy, who in 1980 worked with Grant-area farmers to get unmarketable fresh vegetables into the hands of the needy and hungry — the local Feeding America is looking for the general public to submit stories and persons who have helped “feed America” locally.

“Countless people have played a role in our 40-year history,” Molly Kooi, Feeding America West Michigan’s communication manager, said to WKTV. “We want to honor 40 of them in our 40 Years 40 Faces series … (and the public can) nominate someone to be featured, or to share your own story.

To share a story or nominate someone, go to FeedWM.org/40-years and click on the share your story button, she said.

People, stories of people feeding people

Rev. Don Eddy (FeedWM)

The Rev. Eddy’s story is a prime example that small actions can make a difference. In early 1980, he saw a truckload of perfectly good carrots being composted on a farm in Grant, according to supplied material. As director of United Methodist Metropolitan Ministries, he knew many people who faced hunger, so he asked the farmers to stop dumping them and said he could ensure the carrots got to families who could really use them.

A year later, on April 23, 1981, the food bank that became Feeding America West Michigan (FeedWM) formed. That small beginning has culminated in the food bank’s current network that serves 40 counties across West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

As the year 2021 goes on, each 40 Years 40 Faces story will be shared on social media (@feedingwestmich) and on the food bank’s website (FeedWM.org/40-years).

The series will feature FeedWM staff — like its longest tenure executive director, John Arnold and current CEO, Kenneth Estelle, as well as board members, volunteers, farmers, donors and others who have been part of the food bank’s ongoing journey toward a hunger-free community. And there are opening for others.

Mobile Food Pantry boxes, undated. (FeedWM)

In addition to the story series, the food bank will release a historical timeline and photo album. The food bank welcomes the public to submit photos here to be included.

“We are excited to share about the food bank’s 40-year journey and honor some of the many people who have been a part of our story,” Estelle said in supplied material. “Our partners and supporters have made and continue to make our work possible.”

  

Serving local families in need since 1981, Feeding America West Michigan reclaims millions of meals’ worth of safe, surplus food from various sources, according to supplied material. With the help of countless volunteers, the food bank sorts, stores and distributes this food through a network of more than 900 partners to fill hundreds of thousands of neighbors’ plates instead of landfills.

For more information, visit FeedWM.org or call 616-784-3250.

Snapshots: WKTV stories to get you into the 2021 swing of things this month

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By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.”

Sam Ewing

MLK Day is coming and local service goes online

Yamiche Alcindor, award-winning journalist and White House correspondent for PBS Newshour, will give the keynote address during West Michigan’s Jan. 18 commemoration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Go here for the story.


Jonathan Thunder, “Quarantine at Gramma’s House”. (Supplied)

Muskegon Art Museum offers Native American art exhibits

The MMA’ is currently offering three exhibits with more than a dozen Native American artists — and as many artistic styles — including “The Art of the People: Contemporary Anishinaabe Artists”,“Jim Denomie: Challenging the Narrative” and “Levi Rickert: Standing Rock — Photographs of an Indigenous Movement”. Go here for the story.


President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, shake hands as they meet for the first time, June 12, 2018, at the Capella Hotel in Singapore. (state.gov)

World Affairs Council of West Michigan begins Great Decisions series

The World Affairs Council of West Michigan (WACWM) will begin its “Great Decisions Global Discussions” in February, but a prelude to the series will be presented Thursday, Jan. 14, with a free special mid-day event, “The Korean-U.S. Alliance”. Go here for the story.

Fun fact:

12 percent and 24 weeks

That post-festive period when you start out full of good intentions often never last. In fact, around 12 per cent of gym members sign up in January, and according to the Fitness Industry Association, most people have quit or stop going after 24 weeks. Source.

With free face coverings coming soon, state offers COVID-19 ‘Mask Up, Mask Right’ advice

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What is the right, and not right, way to mask up, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. (MDHHS)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced this week that it is distributing 3.5 million free masks as part of the state’s Mask Up, Mask Right campaign.

The free KN95 masks provided by MDHHS will be distributed by community organizations, including local MDHSS offices, the Kent County Health Department, Kent County Community Action and Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan.

Even before the expected shipments of the state-provided masks are available locally, several local groups such as the county health department already have masks available.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced this week that it is distributing 3.5 million free KN95 masks as part of the state’s Mask Up, Mask Right campaign. (MDHHS)

“We have a limited supply of free surgical type masks available at our main clinic at 700 Fuller NE,” Steve Kelso, spokesperson for the Kent County Health Department, said to WKTV. “If people want those they can simply come to the lobby and they will see a box labeled ‘Mask Up, Mask Right’ and they can remove a box of masks for their household. We expect to receive additional supplies of masks within the next 30 days.”

Kelso also advised people to call 211 to find all Kent County locations where the masks are available, but also stressed that “These are not for businesses to offset their PPE (personal protective equipment) needs. These are for individuals only.”

Some areas of the state will start getting the state masks as early as next week.

“The KN95 masks likely won’t be available until next week,” Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the MDHHS, said to WKTV. “They are being shipped this week.”

The planned infusion of free masks to the public is part of a continuing effort by the state health department.

“We are urging Michiganders to Mask Up and Mask Right to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities from COVID-19,” MDHHS director Robert Gordon said in supplied material. “Wearing the right kind of mask is important. Today’s distribution of effective masks will help more Michiganders limit the spread of COVID to save lives and get back to normal sooner.”

Masking right includes wearing one of three options of masks that provide stronger protection: three-layered washable cloth face coverings, three-layered disposable masks or KN95 masks. It also includes wearing the mask correctly: having it secured over the nose and mouth and snugly fitting without gaps.

The MDHHS announcement noted that KN95 masks are similar to but should not be confused with N95 masks that are intended for health care workers who are engaged as part of their work in higher-risk settings.

To find additional state distribution sites for masks, visit at Michigan.gov/MaskUpMichigan or call the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136.

Kent County Community Action to hold food distribution for general public on Jan. 7

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Kent County Community Action is one of the many groups are working to help feed local families in need, including Feeding America West (shown here from a 2020 event). (Supplied/Feeding America WM)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Kent County Community Action (KCCA) announced this week that it will conduct a food distribution event on Thursday, Jan. 7, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to support qualified low-income households experiencing food insecurity.

The distribution will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., near the KCCA offices, at 121 Franklin SE, in Grand Rapids. All Kent County residents are welcome.

“This distribution is our way to respond to this crisis as it is our mission to alleviate the causes of poverty,” Susan Cervantes, KCCA Director, said in supplied material. “This distribution is one of our scheduled quarterly distributions and we are pleased we can provide relief to families who are in need during this difficult time.”

Customers who are driving must enter on Jefferson Street with their trunks ready to accept more than 50 pounds of food and must remain in their vehicle. This will enable the distribution to go smoothly and ensure the safety of staff and customers by practicing social distancing, according to supplied material.

The distribution will assist more than 900 households that are struggling to meet their food needs, “especially considering the situations caused by COVID-19.” There will be 20 food items in the packet including but not limited to canned vegetables, soups, pasta, juice, vegetable oil, tortillas, cheese, butter, and pork.
  

There will not be walk-up service due to the requirement to socially distance. Persons without transportation can be assisted by calling 616-632-7950.

Feel-good Snapshots: WKTV ‘community giving’ stories you might have missed

Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Crime Prevention, Food, Going Local, Health, Local Business, Local Faces, Local Food, Non-Profits, Restaurants, WKTV Projects

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you have accomplished … It’s about who you’ve lifted up. Who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.”

Denzel Washington


Kentwood police Off. Jeff Augustyn was at Al-Bos restaurant as the police force and Lacks Enterprises Inc. paid for a customer’s take out meal. (City of Kentwood)

Kentwood police and Lacks Enterprises

The Kentwood police community services team, led by Sgt. Tim Wierenga, had this idea to “showcase” local small business, to not only offer monetary support to eateries but to provide a little holiday surprise to customers by paying for their take-out meal. Lacks Enterprises Inc. stepped up for the community where they work and their employees eat out. Kentwood police community services team, led by Sgt. Tim Wierenga, had this idea to “showcase” local small business, to not only offer monetary support to eateries — on Dec. 16, Al-Bos and Daniele’s Pizzeria — but to provide a little holiday surprise to customers by paying for their take-out meal. Go here for the story. If you are business which wants to be spotlighted for donating and helping local small business, call Sgt. Wierenga at 616-656-6561.


With the pandemic, Family Network of Wyoming, like many area food pantries, have seen an increase in need. (WKTV)

Family Network of Wyoming

With the increased need, Family Network of Wyoming has been receiving an increase in food assistance requests. So through a holiday season partnership with the Wyoming Family Fare — and donations from the community — Family Network is set to provide holiday meals to area families. Go here for the story. This time of the year, and all year round, donations are needed at www.fntw.org/donate.


Ton Evans pof Bethany Christian Services of West Michigan talks to WKTV about his organization. (WKTV)

Bethany Christian Services of West Michigan

One group working hard to make West Michigan a better community, in a multitude of seen and unseen ways, is Bethany Christian Services. WKTV talked with a representative of the group recently about its efforts to be funded by a new Kent County Community Violence Prevention Grant. But that is just one element of the group’s work.  Go here for the story and video. Do you want to find out more about Bethany? Support its efforts? Visit bethany.org.

Fun fact:

Giving is good for the giver

Studies show that giving can actually boost your physical and mental health. From volunteering at a soup kitchen to committing to raise money for a specific charity, health benefits associated with giving can include: lower blood pressure, increased self-esteem, lower stress levels and — maybe most important — greater happiness and satisfaction. Source.

Bethany Christian, part of Community Violence Prevention team, on new episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

During a recent visit to the studio of WKTV Journal In Focus, we talked with Antonio (Tony) Evans, a vocational trainer for Bethany Christian Services of Michigan, about the history of Bethany and some of its West Michigan services — especially its upcoming work funded by a Kent County Community Violence Prevention Grant.

But for Evans, it is clear that his work for Bethany Christian Services is more than simply providing any one service or fulfilling one grant action requirement.

“In order to work for Bethany Christian, in order to work for Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation, it’s not a job, it’s a way of life,” Evans said to WKTV. “You have to be entrenched in it. … Our center is one of those spots where, whatever you need, we are going to help you.”

Bethany Christian Services of Michigan, part of a national group with several West Michigan locations including in Wyoming and Kentwood, has been approved for a Community Violence Prevention grant of nearly $150,000 to, quoting from the group’s application, “take a multi-acton approach at crime prevention by increasing opportunities, information, and activities to those within the south Grand Rapids’ 49507 zip code” — an area that borders both Wyoming and Kentwood.

For more information about Bethany Christian Services, visit bethany.org.

Antonio (Tony) Evans, left, a vocational trainer for Bethany Christian Services of Michigan, recently visited the set of WKTV Journal In Focus and talked with host Ken Norris. (WKTV)

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Missing your folk fix? Virtual concert brings out the stars to benefit NYC autism school

Entertainment, Non-Profits, Reviews, Upcoming Events, ,
Steve Earle and the Dukes (2018 photo supplied/Artist)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Those of us who suffered acoustic folk/rock withdrawal this year due to venues such as St. Cecilia Music Center and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park having canceled their seasons — with the likes of Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and Jason Isbell set to tour last summer — there is good news steaming.

While only time, and us putting on our masks, taking a shot or two, and a little pandemic good luck, will tell if and when music tours return to West Michigan, local fans can get a free online concert this weekend featuring Earle, Williams and Isbell, as well as a ton of other performers.

Steve Earle, Luck Productions, and City Winery are set to host the 6th annual John Henry’s Friends Benefit Concert For Autism Sunday, Dec. 13, beginning at 7:30p eastern, with a free live on-line feed available via luck.stream/johnhenrysfriends. (You do have to set up an account at Luck Stream, but it was fairly painless. And any on-line donations will be appreciated.)

The annual benefit concert is the passion play of musician/author/playwright/activist — and diehard folk singer — Steve Earl, who for five years has been gathering a group of “world-class friends and performers for a one-night-only concert which raises money for The Keswell School, an educational program for children and young adults with autism,” according to supplied material.

And with 100 percent of donations going to The Keswell School — an institution, near to Earle’s heart at which his son and the event’s namesake, John Henry, is a student— it is not only a night of music but also a night of giving to a great cause.

Lucinda Williams. (Supplied/Artist)

“Well, 2020 has pretty much sucked so far,” Earle said in supplied material. “It’s been tough on everybody, including those of us in the performing arts, who, after all, depend on the patronage of live audiences for our very livelihood. Therefore, I’m especially grateful that some of my favorite people have come together against all odds to support a cause that is near and dear to my heart, the Keswell School.”

In addition to scheduled performances from Steve Earle & The Dukes, Lucinda Williams, and Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, other names scheduled include Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Graham Nash, Josh Ritter, Matt Savage, Shawn Colvin, The Mastersons and Warren Haynes.

Jason Isbell. (Supplied/Alysse Gafkjen)

“Since we’ve been doing these shows, they are always my favorite day of the year … good music, good friends, and a good cause,” Earle said. “This year’s performers are alumni, one and all, and I’m eternally grateful to each and every one for suiting up and showing up in the hour of our school’s greatest need.”

Founded in 2002, the Keswell School, according to supplied material, is based “on the belief that children diagnosed with ASD can live full and productive lives as integrated members of their communities, The Keswell School provides educational, therapeutic, and supportive services for children diagnosed with ASD and their families. The Keswell School challenges students to accomplish in aspects of school life and prepares them for the fullest possible engagement in the world.”

For more information on the Keswell School visit keswellschool.org.

A full list of artists and more information, including how to donate, can be found at luck.stream/johnhenrysfriends.

A tough year for Earle, in addition to pandemic

While one of Steve Earle’s sons will be on his mind at the benefit concert another may well be in his heart.

Steve Earle & The Dukes “J.T.” album cover.

On the forthcoming album, “J.T.”, Steve Earle & The Dukes pay tribute to Steve’s late son, Justin Townes Earle (J.T.), who passed away on Aug. 20, 2020, in Nashville. The album will be released digitally on what would have been Justin’s 39th birthday, Jan. 4, 2021 (via New West Records).

(Justin Townes Earle, incidentally, was the first show of St. Cecilia Music Centers’ Acoustic Cafe series in 2014.)

According to Steve Earle’s website, “J.T.” finds he and The Dukes covering 10 of Justin’s songs — from “I Don’t Care,” which appeared on his 2007 debut EP, “Yuma”, and a trio of selections from his full-length debut album, “The Good Life”, to later compositions like 2017’s “Champagne Corolla” and 2019’s “The Saint Of Lost Causes,” which was the title track of Justin’s eighth and final studio album.

“J.T.” closes with “Last Words,” a song Steve wrote for Justin.

According to supplied material, 100 percent of the artist advances and royalties from “J.T.” will be donated to a trust for Etta St. James Earle, the three-year-old daughter of Justin and Jenn Earle.

A year without the Santa Claus Girls, on this episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On this holiday episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we catch up with the Santa Claus Girls, a local non-profit which has been a Christmastime staple in West Michigan for more than 100 years. . . . Until this year.

This holiday season, instead of being bustling preparing thousands of gifts for local children in need, the group and its army of volunteers are quiet due to the pandemic and due to its loss of home facility.

WKTV first reported the news back in November, see the story here.

But late last month In Focus caught up with the group for a video report. First we will offer a recent WKTV short video about the Santa Claus Girls, then we talk with Maggie Moerdyke, Interim President of Santa Claus Girls. She tell us about what led to the group’s decision to suspend operations in 2020, and it is not just due to the pandemic.
 

We will also talk about the current and future needs of the group, as well as their hope for a better 2021.
 

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

County, aiding parents as well as children, allocates latest round of Ready by Five early childhood millage grants

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Ready by Five early childhood support programs are funded by a countywide milage passed in 2018 and provides programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five. (First Steps Kent)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The goal of the ongoing Ready by Five early childhood support programs, funded by a countywide milage passed in 2018, is to provide “dedicated and sustainable funding for programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five.”

And a key element of achieving that goal — to “increase their likelihood of success in school and beyond” — is to get parental involvement for the various Ready by Five programs, especially within at-risk families.

So, acting last week on the recommendation of First Steps Kent, the Kent County Board of Commissioners approved allocation of nearly $6 million in Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds with the largest among them going to a group working to gain engagement of the parents involved with the Child Welfare System.
 

The West Michigan Partnership for Children’s Parent Engagement Program — which includes efforts at “engaging, involving and equipping parents involved with the Child Welfare System” — was awarded just over $600,000 for a two-year funding cycle.

In all, $5,775,015 in Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds were allocated for 2021. The millage is funded by a .25 mil property tax increase passed in 2018 that was expected to generate about $5.7 million a year from 2019 to 2024.

A Ready by Five kid, preparing for the future. (First Steps Kent)

“Our Board is committed to assuring these funds are distributed equitably throughout the county,” Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt said to WKTV. “The Ready by Five millage was voted on by Kent County residents who confirmed that it is imperative we embrace the diverse needs of our community.”

The review process included action by the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Board, which included members of the Board of Commissioners, Phil Skaggs and Monica Sparks, as well as Dr. Juan Olivarez, of First Steps Kent Commission; Sandra Ghoston-Jones, of the Kent County Administrator’s Office; and early childhood expert  Joanne Kelty.

Another example of seeking to gain parental involvement in all levels of the Ready by Five effort is that the proposal review board includes four diverse “Parent Representatives” from different parts of Kent County.

“I am honored to serve on the Ready by Five Review Board,” Kent County Commissioner Sparks said to WKTV. “This is a very serious commitment as it will have a measurable and lasting impact on our children and families. We are working very hard to provide equitable resources to ensure the future success of our entire community.”

In total, the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Committee reviewed 18 proposals submitted to First Steps Kent for this funding cycle, and recommended funding 12. The latest recommended amounts are in addition to the 27 contracts currently in place with service providers.

In addition to the West Michigan Partnership for Children’s funding of $600,900 ($294,924 in fiscal year 2021 and $305,976 in 2022), another notable allocation was a Fetal Infant Mortality Review project by the Kent County Health Department ($264,005 over two years), and interpretation and translation services contracts with Bethany Christian Services, Hispanic Center of West Michigan and Liaison Linguistics ($210,000, with $70,000 each over two years).

First Steps Kent will receive $396,399.95 for administration of Ready by Five programs in 2021. First Steps Kent is, according to its website, “an independent nonprofit organization that works with parents, service providers, funders, advocates, and other stakeholders to build a comprehensive early childhood system in Kent County.”

For more information on First Steps Kent and Ready by Five, visit firststepskent.org.

Time of giving: Woodland Mall, retailer Vera Bradley, community giving to Feeding America

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Feeding America West Michigan’s mobile food bank operation worked with Woodland Mall (and the Michigan National Guard) early this year to help feed families, including those of mall employees. This holiday season Woodland Mall is supporting Feeding America . (Feeding America WM)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Even in this usually busy holiday season now made difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic, Woodland Mall and Vera Bradley — and the local community — are working to help families which are struggling to put food on the table.

Through Dec. 13, Vera Bradley’s Woodland Mall location is collecting nonperishable food items for local nonprofit Feeding American West Michigan, according to a Dec. 7 announcement. Woodland Mall will additionally “give back” to a group that supported mall employees in their time of need by matching each food item with a $1 donation to Feeding America.

Woodland Mall retailer Vera Bradley is collecting non-perishable food through Dec. 13. (WKTV)

“Feeding America West Michigan fed our staff laid off during the shutdown this spring,” Cecily McCabe, Woodland Mall marketing director, said in supplied material. “To show our deep appreciation to this incredible organization and to help those struggling with the pandemic’s harsh consequences, we are honored to return the favor.”

Every dollar donated by the mall will provide four meals to people experiencing food insecurity in our region, according to the announcement.

Nonperishable items may be dropped off at Vera Bradley, which is located in the JCPenney wing of Woodland Mall, 3195 28th St. SE, during store hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m., Sunday.
 

Suggested items include peanut butter, whole-grain pasta, macaroni and cheese, rice, dried grains, canned vegetables, fruits, beans, canned chicken and fish, canned soup or soup mix, and canned or dried beans.

McCabe also said that Woodland Mall and its realtors are simply doing what they can to  support a community that has supported them with their shopping in good times.

“It’s clear that supporting one another through this pandemic has been the most essential role each of us can take on,” she said. “As our industry enters what traditionally has been our busiest time of year, we are so happy to share what we do have.”

More information on this drive can be found on the Woodland Mall website and on Facebook.

Wyoming, Kentwood nonprofits among first to receive county violence prevention grants

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Crime Prevention, Going Local, Health, Kids Activities, Non-Profits, , ,
The Spartan Nash Branch of the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, in Wyoming. (YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Kent County announced this week the first round of grants to non-profits as part of the new Community Violence Prevention Grant Program, with seven nonprofits awarded grants ranging from $15,000 to $150,000.

Two groups, Bethany Christian Services and the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, have local operations in the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood.

The Kent County Board of Commissioners previously allocated $500,000 of CARES Act funding to the Community Violence Prevention program “to help stem the increasing rate of violence occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a Nov. 18 statement from Kent County.

The grants support local 501(c)(3) organizations “that work to prevent violent behaviors from occurring, stop the progression of violence and rehabilitate individuals with established violent behavior,” according to the statement.

“Keeping our residents and communities safe is a top priority for the Kent County Board of Commissioners,” Commission chair Mandy Bolter said in supplied material. “We are proud to make these resources available to community organizations who are working tirelessly to develop innovative solutions that make our neighborhoods safer.”

As listed in the grant application, some of the strategies possibly used by the groups receiving grants include:

Reducing the availability and misuse of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances;

Reducing access to lethal weapons like guns and knives;

Changing cultural norms that support violence;

Rehabilitating individuals with a history of violent behavior;

Providing mentors, counselors, or other similar support for youth;

Providing alternative activities during the day and at night for youth that keep them engaged and involved, thus combatting idleness and lack of direction;

And, education and support of anti-gang measures.

Local group initial plans

Bethany Christian Services of Michigan has locations in both Wyoming and Kentwood, and, according to their application, will use the grant for a wide range of initiatives, including its “Silence the Violence Project”, which “using virtual reality, local youth partner with software developers to create simulated experiences designed to show youth ages 10-17 how to combat violence in their lives and communities.”

Bethany Christian Services’ project is an existing initiative of NAACP, it is estimated that 125-150 youth will engage in these simulations, and while the grant funds will be used this year, the program will continue throughout 2020 and 2021.
 

YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids’s Spartan Nash YMCA is located in Wyoming. According to its grant application, it will use the grant to engage in teen violence prevention by “providing alternative choices and activities” during out-of-school time.

“The goal for our programs is to keep teens engaged and involved in community, thus combatting lack of direction or idleness. The Y has staff who are trained in trauma-informed care who can confidently facilitate conversations about gun violence issues as well as strong partnerships with mental health providers like Arbor Circle and Mental Health Foundation to provide group-based mental health support. This work is becoming increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Local United Way partners with county on grants 

Kent County contracted with Heart of West Michigan United Way — which already has extensive relationships with local non-profits — to review funding applications and administer the grants.

Other non-profits to receive grants as part of the first round of awards include the Boys & Girls Club of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth, Inc.; Edge Urban Fellowship; Grand Rapids Urban League; New City Kids, Inc.; and Muse Ed (Mus(ed)).

“The agencies receiving funds have established track records in transforming our community,” Michelle Van Dyke, president & CEO of Heart of West Michigan United Way, said in supplies material. “They serve as leaders in preventing violence, facilitators of diversion efforts and mentors for local youth. Together, we will educate and support Kent County residents to ensure the place we call home becomes safer and stronger than ever before.”

For more information on the grants and application process, visit hwmuw.org.

After 110 years, local Santa Claus Girls effort stymied by COVID-19, need for new space

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Community Health, Going Local, Kids Activities, Local History, Non-Profits, Volunteers, ,
(Supplied/Santa Claus Girls)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

After more than a century of providing holiday season gift bundles to thousands of western Michigan kids, the Santa Claus Girls will be still this holiday season as the double hit of both COVID-10 and the need for a new home facility has forced the program into hiatus for 2020.
 

The Santa Claus Girls’s history in Kent County dates from 1909 and from their most recent home in Kentwood at the Knoll Inc. building on 36th Avenue, the all-volunteer group delivered more than 13,500 gift packages in 2018 and topped that number last year.

“Santa Claus Girls has taken a pause for the 2020 season,” Maggie Moerdyke, Interim President of Santa Claus Girls, said to WKTV. “Knoll was sold and the charity inventory is packed in 4 trailers awaiting a new home. It was a tough decision for the board to pass for the holiday season yet the pandemic had made it impossible to carry forward for 2020.”

Undated historic photo of Santa Claus Girls. (Supplied/Santa Claus Girls)

Usually, the Santa Claus Girls packages and delivers gift bags through which in-need kids get a new toy and candy but also get hand-made, knitted winter hats and mittens. Depending on the age of the kids, families can also receive infant receiving blankets, crocheted or knitted or out of flannel, infant toys, and age-appropriate 1-year-old and 2-year-old stuffed animals.

To accomplish such an effort, there is a small army providing gift wrapping and package-assembly, as well volunteers to join another small army of drivers to deliver the packages in mid-December.

But the army will be at home this season.

“The volunteers, the space, the production, are all side by side and the ability to maintain 6 foot of space between was not an option,” Moerdyke said. “The 350 drivers were also on the mind of the board and to send them into the neighborhoods to deliver was not an option either with COVID spreading so rapidly. Safety and health was foremost on the mind of each of us through the cancellation process.”

She said the non-profit’s governing board had to make the decision that “with heavy heart (we) cannot reach the 13,000 children that are serviced during the giving season. The goal is to return in 2021, bigger and better.”

The board is also working a new model for the non-profit but, she said, they “truly need a workshop to make it happen.”

A new home needed for program

Knoll Inc. housed Santa Claus Girls for six years, including all utilities and the company’s maintenance staff.

Knoll had “a heart of gold to support the families in the community, the volunteers, and the charity,” she said. “Just maybe (we) will be fortunate to find another similar blessing.”

According to Moerdyke, Santa Claus Girls needs a facility between 25,000-75,000 square feet. The ideal, she said, would be 75,000 square feet which comes into use during the six weeks of assembling and delivery. The lower square footage figure would be for storage during the other 10 months of the year.

Moerdyke also said “the master plan is to have a facility to accommodate Santa Claus Girls, Y-Service Club (White Elephant Sale) and Toys For Tots.  All three charities have worked together for several years yet in separate facilities and moved from one place to another as needed incorporating the use of trailers for storage whenever necessary.”

As with every year, the Santa Claus Girls are also seeking community support both in volunteerism and financial donations.
   

For more information visit santaclausgirls.org or visit their Facebook page.

Kent County’s CARES Act dollars to fund community violence prevention grants

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The Kent County Sheriff’s Department works to combat community violence, but it is looking to get some help with newly funded grants to community nonprofits. (KC Sheriff’s Department)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

The Kent County Board of Commissioners announced this week the recent allocation of  $500,000 of CARES Act funding to community violence prevention grants “to help stem the increasing rates of violence occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The grant program will be administered by the Heart of West Michigan United Way.

Grant applications are due to the Heart of West Michigan United Way by noon on Monday, Oct. 19, and all funds must be expended by Dec. 15, 2020 pursuant to federal requirements.

Organizations can apply at hwmuw.org/community-violence-prevention-grant.

“We have seen a rise in violent crime throughout the County since the start of the pandemic,” Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said in supplied material. “We need to work together as a community on prevention and education initiatives that can help reduce the incidents that result in violence.”
 

The Community Violence Prevention Grant Program will assist nonprofit organizations in preventing violent behaviors from occurring, stopping the progression of violence, and rehabilitating individuals with established violent behavior, according to the announcement.

To receive a grant, applicants must be a 501(c)(3) based in Kent County, have been in existence for at least one year, deliver all programming in Kent County, comply with all applicable state and federal laws, and provide a written summary of the project and its outcomes in January 2021.

 
A selection committee comprised of Kent County leaders, law enforcement, and community members will award grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000.

 
“Ensuring we have a safe community is a fundamental role of government. However, we alone cannot solve the spike in violent crimes that is occurring because of COVID-19,” Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Mandy Bolter said in supplied material. “It was a priority for the board to support local, grassroots programs that are working to make our communities safe for all.”

 

On Tap: AlePrize on the walls of local pubs, beer and anti-racism, and Belgian Tripel

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AlePrize artwork on the wall at Broad Leaf Local Beer in Kentwood. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Beer City Brewers Guild’s AlePrize, a celebration of art and beer at Grand Rapids area breweries, is exhibiting local art in two local craft brew pubs in the Kentwood/Wyoming area. The month-long, city-wide event pairs local artists with local breweries.

Broad Leaf Local Beer is showing the work of Ty Davis and David Ruggeri, and Ryan Crowley. Railtown Brewing Company is showing the work of Dave Battjes.

“It’s no secret that the pandemic has impacted the brewing industry in a major way,” according to a statement from AlePrize organizers. “From taproom closures to reduced capacities to the general anxieties of keeping staff and guests safe, these have been challenging times for our region’s breweries. Fall is typically a season where taprooms can expect an uptick in business from ArtPrize visitors, but this year looks different.”

Following the regional art festival’s cancellation, the Beer City Brewers Guild come up with the idea of AlePrize, an event “that celebrates local art and beer during the age of COVID-19,” according to the statement.

AlePrize artwork on the wall at Broad Leaf Local Beer in Kentwood. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“All of us brewers in the guild are gonna miss ArtPrize in a big way,” Chad Atherton, guild board member and Director of Market Development at Founders Brewing Company “AlePrize isn’t a 100 percent supplement for what ArtPrize brings to the community, but we thought it would be a cool opportunity to connect with local artists and utilize our spaces to promote local artists.”

A $1,000 prize will be awarded to the artist who gains the most public votes and another $1,000 prize will be awarded to the top rated artist judged by a panel of local artists and culture community figures.

Of the more than 40 breweries in the guild, nearly half will be participating in some capacity. And beer/art fans should also be on the lookout for beers brewed specifically for AlePrize.

For more information on this event, visit AlePrize

Shorts Brewing part of anti-racism, anti-oppression project

Short’s Brewing Co. and non-profit Title Track have joined forces to create a call-to-action for the entire Michigan craft brewing community — step up and better our businesses and our communities for all people through support of anti-racism and anti-oppression efforts.

“As a Title Track board member, it’s been important for me to find opportunities that could support the work Title Track is doing,” Joe Short, founder of Short’s Brewing Co and Title Track board member, said in supplied material. “The craft beverage and hospitality industry made perfect sense as a platform to scale community conversations about anti-oppression programming to help us build strong and resilient communities.”

The goal is to raise $25,000 to develop anti-racism and anti-oppression programming. Short’s has made that goal even more attainable with an initial pledge of $5,000, according to supplied material.

Once the goal is met, Title Track will host five events across the state that are open to the brewing community. These events are designed to provide “a better understanding of racial justice and the steps needed to create meaningful, lasting change on the path to equity and inclusion for all — which is especially relevant in an industry made up of mostly white males.”

Title Track, a non-profit dedicated to clean water, racial equity, and youth empowerment, was launched in 2019 by Seth Bernard in the hopes of making his Michigan home a better place to live. Craft Libations for Collective Liberation is just one of many programs for the non-profit.

To donate, or learn more about Title Track’s Racial Equity Team, visit here. For more information about Short’s Brewing Company visit shortsbrewing.com.

Take a road trip to Stormcloud

If you’re taking a road trip up north, through Frankfort, before the snow flies, you might want to stop at Stormcloud Brewing Company and try their seasonal release of the brewery’s Harvest Tripel.

According to supplied material, “the innovative and unique beer blends the traditional Belgian Tripel beer style with freshly harvested hops grown in northern Michigan.”

Released annually using a different hop variety every year, the 2020 Harvest Tripel is brewed exclusively with Michigan Saaz hops grown by Michigan Hop Alliance in Omena.

They had me at “Belgian Tripel.”

For more information about Stormcloud visit Stormcloudbrewing.com.

WKTV video: Local chamber event spotlights Family Network of Wyoming

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Members of the local business community visited the Family Network of Wyoming recently as part of a Wyoming/Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Team Up Tuesday community event. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The business community of Wyoming and Kentwood has held strong together during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, and part of the reason is the continued work of the  Wyoming/Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce with events such as a recent Team Up Tuesday held at the Family Network of Wyoming.

WKTV was there to tour and talk with chamber and Family Network leadership, and members of the business community, to find out more about the local non-profit and how it helps some businesses keep on doing business.

Held Sept. 15, the outdoor event was also open to the public to “hang out and connect with each other.” Family Network of Wyoming, located on 44th street, conducted small group tours of its lending closet and food pantry. Snacks and refreshments were provided by The Candied Yam.

To find out more about the Wyoming/Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, visit southkent.org. To find out more about the Family Network of Wyoming, visit fntw.org.

Wyoming Lions Club visits WKTV Journal In Focus to talk community service, volunteerism

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we host a discussion on the City of Wyoming Lions Club, a local member of Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service club organization, with clubs in more than 200 countries.

Wyoming’s club, like all clubs, support the local community in various ways and assist people throughout the world with a focus on programs such as sight programs, guide dogs, donations to vision clinics, and support of various other community organizations.

With us is Kyle Austin, Wyoming Lions Club vice president and membership chairman, and we talk about what the local club does and the need for volunteer member to help them do their good work.
 

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Treetops Collective to celebrate cross-cultural friendship and refugee leadership

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Treetops Collective supports New Americans and local women leaders of many backgrounds. (Supplied/Treetops Collective)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Treetops Collective 4th Annual Celebration will be celebrated virtually Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m., sharing stories from New Americans and local women leaders about what is grounding them and keeping them connected and striving toward growth in this changing time.

“There is so much to celebrate, even as 2020 has looked much differently than anticipated, as women are saving for their future, finding new job opportunities, and building new friendships that bridge cultures and create a sense of mutuality that we need as we grow forward together,” according to supplied material.
   

Registration to the event will also include entry into the online auction from Sept.18 until the event begins on the Sept. 22.

“Auction items have been carefully curated from local businesses and creatives,” according to supplied material. “From modern quilts, luxury beauty, to travel and spa experiences — you are sure to find something you’ll love.”
 

Treetops Collective is a local nonprofit serving women and teens who have been resettled as refugees, offering “holistic support as they connected new neighbors to people and opportunities to create a more welcoming community where everyone feels a sense of belonging,” according to supplied material.

They are committed to walking alongside women “as they set goals for their future and use their creative gifts and skills to impact their new community” here in West Michigan.

To register for the virtual event and online auction visit here. For more information on Treetops Collective, visit treetopscollective.org.

See a WKTV Journal In Focus interview with Treetops Collective below.

World War II ‘Greatest Generation’ to be honored with local remembrance, flyover, book discussion

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Marion Charles Gray, an Army Medic who was with the first waves of invasion forces to hit Omaha Beach on the morning of June 6, 1944, passed away in 2015. (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The 75th anniversary of the end of World War II — coming this week on Sept. 2 — will be commemorated locally with virtual ceremonies and a socially distant Grand Rapids area flyover of war-era military aircraft.
 

The Grand Rapids Greatest Day Celebration Committee and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and Museum will host two days of celebration and remembrance of the “Greatest Generation” — Americans who grew up during the Great Depression and fought in World War II, or whose labor helped win the war — starting today, Tuesday, Sept. 1 and continuing Wednesday, Sept. 2.

On Sept. 2, 1945, with the Japanese and American signing of the Instrument of Surrender aboard the U.S. Navy battleship the USS Missouri, World War II was officially over.
    

The local events will begin today, Sept. 1, however, when there will be an “In Memoriam Remembrance and Bell Ringing”, at the Ford Museum, with guest speaker Jim DeFelice, beginning at 6 p.m. The event will be live-streamed on the museum’s Facebook Live page.

Promotional material for the event states: “Hear master storyteller (and) NY Times Bestselling author Jim DeFelice, known for his vivid, raw, and powerful portrayals of modern American military heroes, as he honors those who gave their life during the Second World War.”

The celebration will continue Sept. 2, at about 6 p.m., with the Grand Rapids area portion of a planned flyover of a three restored military aircraft: a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain military transport, and a North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. (See map below for approximate times and route.)

The planes, traveling to Grand Rapids from the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, are set to make a pass along the Grand River, from north to south, near downtown Grand Rapids, and are expected then make at least one pass over the Wyoming and Kentwood area by flying over the Grand Rapids Veterans Outpatient Clinic in Wyoming before exiting the area.

The celebration will conclude with a another virtual event, “Countdown to 1945 with Chris Wallace” on Sept. 2, at 7 p.m., and also live-streamed on the museum’s Facebook Live page.

A veteran journalist and Fox News Sunday anchor, Wallace will be the keynote speaker of the Greatest Generation Day Celebration. According to supplied material, he will discuss his recently published book, “Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World.”

“Countdown 1945” delivers a behind-the-scenes account of the 116 days leading to the bombing on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and “goes beyond just the atomic bomb and shares accounts of ordinary American and Japanese civilians in wartime.”

During his journalism career, Wallace has covered almost every major political event, and interviewed U.S. and world leaders, including seven American presidents. Throughout his 50-plus years in broadcasting, Wallace has won every major broadcast news award, including three Emmy Awards and the Peabody Award.

The route of the planned B-17, C-47 and B-25 Military Plane Flyover on Wednesday, Sept. 2. (Greatest Generation Day Committee)

Kentwood firefighter meets longtime sign language goals thanks to local non-profit

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By Phil de Haan

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

For Kentwood firefighter and emergency medical technician Darryl DeVries, learning American Sign Language had been on his to-do list since he was a high school student in the 1980s.

But a little more than a decade ago, when he had already been working full time for the city of Kentwood for almost a decade, he decided ASL probably wasn’t in the cards for him anymore.

And then a chance encounter after a Kentucky church service got DeVries to thinking that maybe his high school hopes were still alive.

City of Kentwood firefighter Darryl DeVries (Supplied)

“I was standing alone,” he recalled recently, “not knowing anyone when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and was met by a guy, John, with a warm, contagious, ear-to-ear smile.”

Darryl reached out his hand and said hello. John replied by signing. And Darryl had two immediate thoughts.

“First, I thought ‘if only I had learned sign language’,” he said. “Second, I thought ‘go figure, I just cut it from my wish list.’ ”

But John had other ideas and ended up teaching Darryl the ASL alphabet that day.

“And I have been learning ASL ever since,” he said with a smile.

Kentwood non-profit helping out

For a few years he studied ASL on his own, using books and online resources and even attending a church which provided services in ASL.

Then driving past Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services one day, he saw a sign for ASL classes. He stopped in and met some of the staff, including Executive Director Deb Atwood.

“D&HHS has pretty much taken me under their wing ever since,” he said, “always supportive and encouraging.”

Part of that support and encouragement has been working with Community Education Coordinator Nancy Piersma, a Native Deaf Facilitator.

“Nancy has spent hours tutoring me in translating the questions we routinely go through with patients and teaching me signs unique to West Michigan,” he noted.

It’s what D&HHS does, said Atwood.

“We’ve been around for almost 25 years,” Atwood said, “and a big part of our mission has always been what I’d call the education and advocacy piece. We do cultural and sensitivity training around issues relating to the Deaf, we work and partner with other organizations and state agencies, we offer the ASL classes that Darryl took. It’s hard work, but it’s always gratifying to see when people have that ‘aha moment’ as Darryl did and as so many others have. That’s what makes it worthwhile.”

DeVries added that in his work, he has had several opportunities to use ASL.

“It is neat,” he said, “to see a patient’s reaction change from ‘This guy won’t understand me’ to ‘What? Wow! He’s signing!’ Just being able to say my name and something like ‘I help you’ makes a huge difference.”

A West Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, DeVries said that ASL is one more way to break down barriers and eliminate differences, to “understand each other and find common ground.”

He added: “Kentwood is a very diverse community. I wish I could speak fluently with everyone I meet, but I have chosen to dive into ASL. ASL is amazing when you see a patient’s face light up when they realize you are communicating with them in their silent language which is often overlooked and avoided.  ASL is one of the most used, least-known languages in the United States.”

DeVries is eligible for the City of Kentwood’s Language Incentive Program which encourages employees to apply their language proficiencies in service to Kentwood’s diverse community.

New and current employees with excellent language skills who meet proficiency requirements earn monetary bonuses through the program and are tested in their non-English language of choice on an annual basis.

In addition to providing classes, tutoring and more for DeVries, D&HHS also worked with Kentwood’s Human Resources department to develop an ASL test that qualified him for language incentive pay and has worked with him each year on his retest.

For more information on the Kentwood-based Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, visit deafhhs.org.

Local United Way and county non-profit COVID-19 grants on latest WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Late last month, Kent County allocated $9.5 million in federal CARES Act dollars to create the Kent County Non-Profit Organization COVID-19 Grant Fund. The group chosen to administer the grant applications and awards is, appropriately, the Heart of West Michigan United Way.

 

Heart of West Michigan United Way’s Shannon Blackmon-Gardner, vice president of community impact. (HWMUW/Adam Bird)

On the latest WKTV Journal In Focus, we talk with a Heart of West Michigan United Way’s Shannon Blackmon-Gardner, vice president of community impact, about the fund, how they were selected to administer the grant process, some of the qualifications and application process — and most importantly, why the grant fund is important to non-profits and to the community.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Humanity for Prisoners’ efforts for prisoners, prison reform on WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Humanity for Prisoners started in 2001 when Doug Tjapkes formed the organization driven by his relationship with Maurice Carter, who had been behind state prison bars for 29 years for a crime he did not commit. Two decades later, the issue of treatment of prisoners — and prison reform — is no less important.

The mission statement of the Grand haven based non-profit Humanity for Prisoners is stated on their website as: “With compassion for Michigan’s imprisoned, Humanity for Prisoners provides, promotes and ensures — with strategic partnerships — personalized, problem-solving services for incarcerated persons in order to alleviate suffering beyond the just administration of their sentences.”

WKTV Journal In Focus recently interviewed Matt Tjapkes, son of Doug and now president of Humanity for Prisoners, and talked about the group’s history, what it does and does not do in support of prisoners, the current state of Michigan’s prison reform efforts.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Kent County, local United Way announce non-profit COVID-19 grant process

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The Heart of West Michigan United Way offices in Grand Rapids. (HWMUW)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The Heart of West Michigan United Way and Kent County this week announced a county grant fund to support local nonprofit organizations providing certain relief services during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Late last month, the Kent County Board of Commissioners allocated $9.5 million in federal CARES Act dollars to create the Kent County Non-Profit Organization COVID-19 Grant Fund.

Applicants must be a local 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) nonprofit health and human service organization located within Kent County and “serving individuals and communities within Kent County that have been directly affected by COVID-19 and continuing to provide services throughout the pandemic,” according to a July 14 statement.

 

According to the statement, grant requests ranging from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $150,000 are being solicited from nonprofits seeking funding for provision of COVID-related services. Nonprofits can apply for amounts within this range deemed “appropriate to CARES Act expenses.”

Eligible expenditures include, but are not limited to, the following COVID-19-related expenses, according to the statement:

 

Expenses for food security, food access, and/or food delivery


Expenses for personal basic needs such as personal hygiene products, diapers, etc.


Expenses to cover transportation needs


Expenses for services specifically targeting at-risk youth


Expenses for academic and/or mentoring services to facilitate distance learning

among school-aged children/youth, including technological improvements


Expenses to cover physical health care access and services.

 
Applications will be accepted until the funds available are allocated or until Oct. 1, whichever occurs first.

For complete details and a link to the application, visit Heart of West Michigan’s website at hwmuw.org/kent-county-covid-19-grant-fund.

Area Agency on Aging, supporting seniors in time of COVID-19, on WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Given this time of COVID-19, and with seniors particularly at high risk, the work of the Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan has become all the more important.

WKTV Journal In Focus last week had a Zoom interview with Carly Whetstone, outreach specialist for the local agency, to talk about the group, its history, and the ways it is working for senior and senior caregivers.

The group is headquartered in Grand Rapids but serves a nine-county region that includes coverage in Wyoming and Kentwood. It is part of nationwide network of nonprofit agencies created in 1974 by the federal government to be one-stop shops with information about programs, services and housing options to seniors.

For more information on the Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan call 616-456-5664, visit their website at aaawm.org and for specific caregiver support visit caregiverresource.net.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Consumers Energy Foundation delivers grants to local organizations to continue COVID-19 community support

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Meals on Wheels of West Michigan received a grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation. Shown is an undated photo of a Meals on Wheels prep kitchen. (Meals on Wheel)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The Consumers Energy Foundation today announced $135,000 in grants to assist 14 Michigan nonprofit organizations, including several in West Michigan which serve Wyoming and Kentwood, to help the organizations “meet critical needs as they serve residents the COVID-19 pandemic has affected.”

The latest round of grants is part of more than $3.6 million in donations made since March, according to a July 13 statement from Consumers Energy.

Among the local groups to benefit from the grants are the Meals on Wheels Western Michigan of Grandville, the Boys & Girls Club of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth of Grand Rapids, and the Women’s Resource Center of Grand Rapids.

“We want to do our part to help people, businesses and communities that will continue to feel the pandemic’s effects for months,” Brandon Hofmeister, president of the Consumers Energy Foundation, said in supplied material. “These nonprofits are meeting some of the most critical and urgent needs of Michigan’s people and communities hit hardest by the impact of COVID-19.”

The new grants will help nonprofit organizations in various ways, allowing them to “provide food and personal supplies to clients, buy cleaning supplies, and meet equipment and furniture needs as organizations change how they serve the public,” according to the statement.

Among the other statewide organizations gaining Foundation grants are: Family & Children’s Services of Mid-Michigan of Midland, Housing Resources Inc. of Kalamazoo,  the Foundation for Mott Community College of Flint, Bethesda Lutheran Communities of Frankenmuth, Charitable Union of Battle Creek, Muskegon Rescue Mission of Muskegon,  Clothing INC of Mount Pleasant, Ministry with Community of Kalamazoo, Eastside Community Action Center of Lansing, Family Counseling & Children’s Services of Lenawee County/Catherine Cobb Safe House of Adrian, and Love Thy Neighbor Grand Traverse Region of Traverse City.

The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. For more information about the Consumers Energy Foundation visit ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.

Virtual summer camp for deaf — and hearing — kids available this summer

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Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services community education coordinator Nancy Piersma, left, with Kenny in background, at John Ball Zoo. (D&HHS)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (D&HHS) in Grand Rapids didn’t want to cancel an annual summer camp that deaf kids have been part of in person, but then COVID-19 happened.
 

So a summer camp for both deaf and hearing kids will happen virtually in 2020 — “a week’s worth of excitement and education,” according to a statement from the organization.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services community education coordinator Nancy Piersma, left, with Kenny in background, at John Ball Zoo. (D&HHS)

Recently, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ community and partnerships manager, Erica Chapin, was out and about in Grand Rapids with community education coordinator Nancy Piersma (a native deaf facilitator who uses sign language to communicate) and a film crew, plus some special guests, filming at John Ball Zoo, Blandford Nature Center, HOPE Gardens community garden and The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.

“Through these videos, kids will be able to learn and experience something new,” Chapin said in supplied material. “Each day Nancy teaches new signs related to the theme, making Kids Kamp videos a great opportunity for children to have increased exposure to language. Every video is in ASL, with English interpretation and closed captioning, to offer accessibility to anyone who wants to watch.”

From July 13-17 those videos will be rolled out for free on the D&HHS YouTube channel. But kids who buy a Kenny’s Kids Kamp Kurious Kit for $30 will be able to complete a number of crafts and activities at home as they watch the videos, according to the statement.

“Kenny is our Kids Kamp friend who is coming along with us for our adventures,” Chapin said. “He is a stuffed animal monkey. Throughout our videos you can see him playing in the background. Sometimes he is easy to find; other times he is hidden away. The kids have to keep an eye on him and at the end of the week we will announce how many times he was seen.”

Each Kenny’s Kids Kamp Kurious Kit will include a 2020 Kids Kamp t-shirt, snacks and drinks for each day, ASL vocabulary related to the video adventures, crafts, a children’s book and other fun activities to promote learning. In addition, according to the D&HHS statement, the purchase of a Kurious Kit enters each purchaser into a daily drawing for bonus prizes from the video locations that include fun for the whole family.

D&HHS will also be offering scholarships and seeking donors to underwrite kits. Anyone who would like to apply for a scholarship for a kit can contact Deb Atwood, executive director, at datwood@deafhhs.org.

Also, on the Kids Kamp sign-up page, people can purchase a kit for a child directly, said Chapin. For more information visit here.

Questions about Kids Kamp should be directed to Erica Chapin, Community & Partnerships Manager, at 616-732-7358, x211 or community@deafhhs.org.

County offers free COVID-19 testing event today in support of African American, Latinx communities

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Kent County Health Department’s Wyoming Potter’s House School “walk-through” testing site. (KCHD)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The Kent County Health Department is partnering with the Black Impact Collaborative and LINC UP to provide a free COVID-19 community testing today, Monday, June 29, from 2 to 7 p.m., at the Gallery at LINC UP located at 1167 Madison S.E., Grand Rapids.

The county announcement is also available in Spanish at the link at the end of this story.

In Kent County, members of the Latinx community account for 39.4 percent of the COVID-19 cases while comprising 10 percent of the population, while African Americans have 19.25 percent of the cases but make up 10 percent of the population.

Federal CDC-provided Coronavirus test kit. (KCHD)

“We know that COVID-19 has been disproportionately impacting the African American and Latinx communities, so the Black Impact Collaborative wanted to partner with Kent County to make sure that African Americans and Latinxs in our community have the opportunity to get tested,” Robert Womack, Kent County commissioner, said in supplied material. “This is such a needed resource for our community to allow anyone to get tested and we are thankful that the County put this testing day together.”

Any person, 6 months of age or older, can get tested, according to the county statement. Pre-registration for this event is encouraged by going online through this link or calling 616-632-7200 but walk-in testing is available.

The specific location of the free testing is based on county data.

“Our data is showing that 17 percent of our COVID-19 positive cases are located in the 49507 Zip Code and yet only six percent of Kent County’s population resides in this area,” Dr. Adam London, director of the Kent County Health Department, said in supplied material. “This type of data continues to inform our response to COVID-19 and ensures our resources are accessible to the most impacted neighborhoods.”
 

The county health department “will continue working to address the racial and ethnic health disparities by collaborating with community partners to offer testing in areas that are showing a higher prevalence of positive cases,” according to the county statement.

“We are excited to work with community partners like the Kent County Health Department, who recognize that racial health disparities exist and are actively working to address them by changing their practices,” Vincent Thurman, communications manager at LINC UP, said in supplied material. “COVID-19 has further revealed how stark these disparities are and how much needs to change.

“Partnering with KCHD is a great step forward to improving equity in healthcare. The data shows that Black and Brown communities are at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and we are happy to have free tasting available to residents in our neighborhoods.”
 

To learn more about Kent County Health Department services visit accesskent.com/health.

 

Kent-County-Health-Department-June-29-Community-Testing-Day-SPANISHDownload