GR Community Foundation awards four grants; one to help migrant domestic abuse victims

Sharon Hanks

The Grand Rapids Community Foundation has awarded four new grants totaling $213,150 to Kent County organizations, with one to be used for a new outreach program helping domestic abuse victims in the migrant community.

The Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project will use the $100,000 grant to start the program at its office at 1104 Fuller Ave. NE in partnership with the Legal Aid of Western Michigan, the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan and the YWCA, according to Marcia Rapp, vice president of programs at the foundation.

Rapp says the Foundation heard from various organizations that the service would serve an important niche in the community, especially because of recent and heightened concerns over immigration, custody and residency challenges.

"The political environment doesn't escape Grand Rapids," she says, "so there's a real reluctance to ask for any services when you have to give your name." The funds will be used to hire a bilingual attorney and support personnel, Rapp says.

The Foundation also awarded three other grants to the following:

• The Literacy Center of West Michigan was granted $25,000 to for its Blueprint Literacy program aimed at increasing the number of students it serves.

• The SOURCE was awarded $30,000 for the Health Field Collaborative in which seven Grand Rapids health care providers will develop a more robust programming around retention, career coaching, training and development of the pipeline for new health care employees.

• The Women's Resource Center was granted $58,150 for its Fresh Start Program to help women and their children access community resources to get back on their feet following struggles with poverty, incarceration, unemployment or other hardships.

Source: Marcia Rapp, vice president of programs, Grand Rapids Community Foundation

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at [email protected]. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.